Tales from Post-War Pyrrhia
by nivrad00
Summary: A collection of ficlets from Jade Mountain and beyond. Featuring Marsh, Coconut, Flame, Kinkajou, Turtle, and many, many others.
1. Supervillain

Flame growled as he heard the sounds of young dragonets echoing through the stone passageway. He'd forgotten: Turtle's noisy brothers were visiting today.

He stomped through the antechamber of Jade Mountain Academy, hoping to avoid notice from the gaggle of SeaWings. However, he couldn't help but overhear. "Whoa, who's that?"

"That's Flame," said Turtle. "Don't bother him, now. Hey — Bubbles!"

"Hello Mr. Flame," said a SeaWing dragonet, no more than one year old, popping up in front of Flame. "Your scar is super cool!"

Another dragonet jumped at him, his tail swishing in excitement. "Did you get it in a battle?!"

Flame grimaced. "Get out of my way, brats!"

He made to push past the SeaWings, but he was stopped by the crushed expression on the young dragonets' faces. In the corner of his eye, he caught Turtle's concerned look.

"...Sorry," Flame muttered. "Or whatever. I got it in a fight with a SandWing, okay?" Then he stomped on down the corridor.

The echoing sounds of SeaWing gossip accompanied him all the way to his room.

* * *

Turtle's brothers were leaving. Flame poked his head outside, curious.

"Fear me!" announced one of the small SeaWings. "I am here to defeat the evil Flame!"

"No SandWing is a match for me!" announced Bubbles, leaping on his brother. "Taste my fire!" The dragonets laughed as they scuffled.

Flame watched with narrowed eyes. They were acting as if he was some sort of supervillain from a graphicoll.

"Die, die, die!" cried Bubbles, finally vanquishing his giggly foe. "That's what you get for challenging the awesome Flame!"

Flame had to admit that it was oddly... flattering. No one had ever called him awesome before. He noticed Turtle looking toward him, and quickly retreated from the entrance. He had to go to class anyway.

The SeaWings' antics echoed through his head as he entered the classroom. He started to head for his usual seat — against the wall, where no one could look at the bad side of his face — but hesitated. Why did he even bother? Everyone was used to his hideous visage by now.

Flame slumped down in a seat in the front row. Dragons were already staring, he knew it. He could almost hear them thinking: What is the grumpy SkyWing up to now? Why isn't he hiding in the shadows where he belonged?

Let them stare. See if he cared.

* * *

Author's Note

Hi, FF net!

I originally wrote these ficlets as daily writing exercises on Tumblr. The first one I ever wrote was about the SeaWing that gets hit with a flying shield during Anemone's animus training. (That's a real character, check the book!) Eventually, I ended up with a diverse collection of stories about a huge cast of characters, major and minor. In _The Brightest Night, _Sunny says something about how "every dragon has a story." I hope I captured that spirit, at least a little.

A year later, I decided to collect, revise, and re-upload all of my stories in one place. That's what you have in front of you now. If you happen to be one of the people who read my writing on Tumblr, I'd like to give you a big virtual hug. Even if we never spoke, seeing you in the notes made me happy every time. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this new, improved edition.

A note for this particular ficlet: The version of Flame that appears throughout my stories, the one that likes cooking and graphic novels, is based entirely on Sandshadow9's amazing story _Healed_, which you can find on this site. She also came up with the word "graphicoll." Credit where it's due!


	2. Art Block

"How do you do it?" Arid spat.

"What?" said Mightyclaws, absorbed in his painting.

"Last time I looked up, your canvas was just a bunch of scribbles. Now it's... now it's beautiful!"

Mightyclaws furrowed his brow, gently dabbing wet green leaves onto a palm tree. "Is it?"

Arid kicked over her blank easel, causing a loud clatter which finally got the NightWing to look away from his work. "I can't draw. I feel like something is blocking the art from moving from my brain to the canvas. Like some sort of... art impediment. Or art blockade. I don't know what to call it."

"How about 'art impasse'?"

Arid huffed. "How do you do it, Mightyclaws? How are you so productive?"

"I don't know," said Mightyclaws with a shrug. "Sometimes I look at the stars for inspiration, I guess." He returned to the easel.

"Well, duh. You're a NightWing. I'm a _SandWing_. What am I supposed to get out of some stupid stars?"

Mightyclaws shrugged again.

Arid snorted and stomped out of the art cave.

Soon the SandWing found a dark, flat ledge above Jade Mountain Academy where she could lay comfortably on a layer of dirt and moss. Muttering rude things about Mightyclaws and his gorgeous paintings, she closed her translucent inner eyelids and gazed up at the night sky.

The stars flashed above her, the same as ever. They reminded her of distant bonfires at a distant festival. Two moons winked from opposite sides of the sky, like lovers separated by a vast desert. The darkness spun silently around her horns. The crickets' song put unpainted colors into her thoughts. The wind swept warm sand over her mind.

"Is this supposed to be inspiring?" Arid muttered. A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

The next day, Arid marched into the Quartz Winglet caves and accosted Mightyclaws, who was hanging up a painting. "Hey! Toad face! Your stupid stars put me to sleep and I didn't get any work done last night."

Mightyclaws rolled his eyes. "That's not my fault. Maybe you did it wrong."

Arid paused. "What's that?" she said, pointing an accusing claw at the painting. It depicted a young SandWing relaxing by an oasis at night. Mightyclaws had hung it up outside Arid's sleeping cave.

"That's you," he said.

"Oh," said Arid. She continued staring at the painting.

"Do you... like it?"

"I don't know," said Arid. "I look kinda blobby."

Mightyclaw shrugged. "Sorry. I've never painted a SandWing before."

"Uh-huh."

"I have to go to class," said Mightyclaws, walking toward the exit. "I hope you get over your art barrier, or whatever."


	3. Snorer

Marsh clamped the pillow over his head and grit his teeth. Tomorrow was the first day of class, so he needed a good night's rest. But how was he supposed to fall asleep when his new clawmate snored this loudly?!

Coconut had wandered into the sleeping cave late in the evening, long after Marsh had arrived. After saying hello, the RainWing had climbed into his rainforest-style hammock and conked out immediately. He hadn't even asked Marsh for his name. Then, the insufferable noise had started.

Marsh was starting to have second thoughts about Jade Mountain Academy. It was hard enough being separated from Reed. How could he possibly live with this RainWing for an entire year?

"Enough!" cried Marsh. "Wake up already!"

Coconut poked his head out of the hammock, blinking. "Huh?"

Marsh fidgeted with his wings, fearful that Coconut would be angry. "I'm sorry," he blurted, "but your snoring is driving me crazy."

"Oh," said Coconut. "Sorry." He climbed out of the hammock and trod out of the room with the lethargy of a sloth. Then came the sound of distant snoring.

Marsh wrung his claws in confusion. Curiosity got the best of him, and he followed the sound of snoring out of the room. He cautiously navigated the tunnels to the Copper Winglet common room, where he found the RainWing draped peacefully over the table like a colorful tablecloth.

Marsh fought down a giggle. "Uh... Coconut? I didn't mean to kick you out of the room..."

Coconut didn't respond, fast asleep.

Well, the blue RainWing seemed comfortable enough. Marsh tiptoed back to his room, feeling relieved. Maybe this clawmate arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all.


	4. Illiterate

"You don't know how to READ?" Anemone said.

"Do you know how to SHUT UP?" Boto yelled.

The class erupted into chaos, students leaping from their desks and knocking their scrolls onto the floor. Ostrich pulled at Anemone's wings, trying to get her attention. Thrush jumped to Boto's defense. Sepia yelled at everyone to calm down. Marsh, on the other hand, backed himself up against the wall. He unfurled his trembling wings like a shield against the noise.

"ENOUGH!" said Fatespeaker from the front of the room. She stomped between the rows of desks, forcing the students apart. "We do not tolerate this kind of behavior in the classroom!"

"Thank you, Fatespeaker," Starflight said, wearily.

"You're welcome!"

Marsh sighed in relief as the students reluctantly returned to their places. He sat down as well, his wings still twitching. The Silver and Copper Winglets had been combined on the first day of school for writing class. They were here to "learn the inner workings of language through grammar, composition, and style," in Starflight's own words. It wasn't going well so far.

"Are you okay?" said Coconut to Marsh.

"I'm fine," said Marsh, trying to put on a smile. The two of them hadn't spoken much since their "conversation" the night before. He hoped Coconut didn't think he was a coward for hiding from the commotion.

"How are we supposed to have writing class when the students don't even know how to read?" said Anemone, turning her snout up. "That just sounds illogical to me."

"Do you really not have scrolls in the Rainforest Kingdom?" said Fearless. "Like, not at all?"

"What if we don't?" said Boto, his scales creeping orange and light pink. "We never NEEDED scrolls. Right, Coconut?"

"Huh?" Coconut said.

"Dragonets," said Starflight in his bossy voice, tapping his claws on the floor for attention. "We realize that all of you come from different backgrounds. We're still figuring out the logistics of writing class. For now, let's just please pay attention."

"You heard the dragon," said Fatespeaker from his side. She held a piece of chalk in one talon, having written _Writing Class_ in big loopy letters on the blackboard. The i's were dotted with hearts, which Marsh wasn't sure if Starflight knew.

"You each have in front of you a copy of Skunk and Stripe's _The Elements of Style_, fourth edition," said Starflight. "Which was provided graciously by Queen Coral from her private collection. Why don't we read the first section together? Any volunteers?"

Thrush's claw shot into the air.

"Yes, Thrush," said Fatespeaker.

"Part one. Elementary rules of usage," read Thrush smartly. "Number one. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding apostrophe s. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write, Fortuneteller's friend, Shadowhunter's poems, the NightWing's malice..."

Marsh squinted at his scroll. Most of his education had been on battle tactics and tribe politics. He and his siblings had little practice with reading. He couldn't keep up with Thrush, nor did he have any idea what a "possessive" or a "consonant" was. He looked over at Coconut, who was examining his own scroll with purpley curiosity. He wondered what the RainWing was thinking.

"Good, good," said Starflight. "Did everyone get that?"

_Wait, was I supposed to understand all that?_ Marsh looked around guiltily at the other students. Sepia, the other MudWing, was paying close attention. Boto, on the other claw, had given up altogether and was flashing his ruff interesting colors.

"Who wants to read the second section?" said Starflight. Marsh settled in with a sigh for a long, boring class.

* * *

At the sound of the gong, the dragonets leaped up to leave the classroom. "Take your scrolls with you!" called Starflight. "Please review what we've learned before the start of the next class!"

Boto made a face at Anemone as he left the classroom. He then sauntered up to Coconut. "Boy, that was pointless, wasn't it?"

"Mhm," said Coconut. "I don't really get this grammar stuff. I'd rather be in, like, a fruit appreciation class or something. You know what i mean?" He yawned, causing lazy yellow patterns to pulse across his blue scales. Marsh watched in admiration, trailing after the two RainWings.

"Do you ever think about anything except fruit?" said Boto, shaking his head. "I gotta go to a Silver Winglet meeting. Take it easy, Coconut."

"Mhm," said Coconut, watching Boto go. Marsh wished he could tell what his clawmate was thinking, like he could when he spoke to the other RainWings. Most of them wore their emotions on their scales. Coconut's gentle colors, on the other claw, were unchanging, dependable, and so easy to get lost in.

"Oh, hey, Marsh," said Coconut. "Do you want to go to sun time with me?"

"Oh," said Marsh, his gaze snapping upward. "Um. I don't know. We don't really do sun time in the Mud Kingdom." Coconut might not be the most observant dragon, but surely he'd noticed that Marsh was a MudWing? Right?

Coconut tilted his head. "Well, it's not hard or anything. You just have to go outside and take a nap. I think even a MudWing can do that."

"Oh, okay," said Marsh, with a little laugh. "Sure." Coconut nodded placidly, and the two dragonets walked toward the exit.


	5. Sun Time

"This is a good spot," announced Coconut.

After stopping by the Copper Winglet caves to get Coconut's hammock, Marsh and Coconut had glided down the mountain to a patch of coniferous trees that rustled in the wind. Before them, a pond shimmered, and behind them, the slope of Jade Mountain stretched into the sky.

"Here?" said Marsh.

"Mhm."

Marsh touched down on a flat rock. The pool was fringed by large, mossy stones, like peacefully sleeping alligators. The water was so clear that he could see tadpoles wriggling through the silt. His reflection rippled on the surface. _There's no mud, _Marsh thought, disappointed. _Just rocks. And scrawny little me._

Coconut flapped to the tallest tree and landed on a sturdy branch, using his tail to anchor himself. The green needles bounced wildly up and down. He carefully reached into the foliage and tied one end of the hammock to the trunk.

"Oh, let me help you with that," said Marsh, taking the other end of the hammock. Coconut watched with curious eyes as Marsh manipulated the fabric with clumsy talons. He could barely reach the trunk while hovering in midair, and he could hardly see what he was doing. If only his talons were long and dexterous like his clawmate's...

"You're doing it wrong," said Coconut, appearing nearby.

"Oh," said Marsh. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to mess it up. I don't really know knots. And stuff." He sheepishly handed the end of the fabric to Coconut.

"It's okay," said Coconut simply. He leaned into the foliage to tie the knot.

Marsh hovered awkwardly nearby. He remembered the advice Reed had given him when he left for the Academy. _Make some friends. Try to hang out with dragons other than your siblings. And please, try to relax._

"So, um, you don't have scrolls in the rainforest, huh?" Marsh said.

"Yeah," said Coconut.

"If you need any help with your homework, I could help, maybe," said Marsh. "If you want. Or I can read you scrolls, if you want..."

_Stupid! _he thought immediately. _You barely just met him! Why would he want your help?_

"Thanks," said Coconut. "That would be super cool."

"Oh," said Marsh, caught off guard. "It's no problem."

Coconut flapped to the newly-strung hammock and sat in its middle, causing both trees to bow slightly inward. "The scroll in class today was, like, super boring. More boring than eating a coconut. Are all scrolls like that?"

"Um, I don't know," said Marsh, touching down on the rocks. "I guess? Maybe? I didn't have a lot of reading material when I was growing up. I spent most of my time playing with my sibs. And when we got older we were all busy training."

"Training?" Coconut lifted his emerald-green frills.

"Yeah!" said Marsh, encouraged by Coconut's apparent interest. "Training for the war. Doing daily drills and workouts and stuff."

"Wow," said Coconut. "You worked out every day? You must be stronger than a whale."

Marsh hesitated, not sure what to make about the strange compliment. "I mean, not really. I'm pretty much the weakest of all my sibs. Except maybe Umber." He laughed.

"Sibs?" said Coconut, sleepily

"Oh," said Marsh. "You don't really _do_ sibs in the rainforest, right? Clay told me all about that."

Coconut blinked.

"Sibs," said Marsh. "Siblings. In the Mud Kingdom, we all live in sib groups, and our bigwings takes care of us. That's the sib that hatches first. My bigwings is Reed, though it was supposed to be Clay, but his egg was sold to the Talons of Peace by his mother, so he didn't grow up with the rest of us. Then my other siblings are Pheasant, Sora, Umber, and… Crane."

It had been a while since Marsh had thought about Crane. In all the excitement about Jade Mountain Academy, he hadn't had _time_ to think about her.

_I bet she would have liked it here. Lots of new friends and food._

"Thascool," Coconut said, then yawned. Marsh realized with a pang of guilt that the RainWing was drooping like a sleepy cattail. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep." Coconut's head disappeared into the hammock.

Marsh examined the hammock curiously. It was lightweight and let in patches of the noon sun, which gleamed off of Coconut's lavender scales. It moved slowly back and forth in the wind, like the gentle rise and fall of a dragon's chest.

_Where am I supposed to sleep?_ wondered Marsh, re-examining the copse of trees. He was used to dim MudWing shelters and soothing mud, not broad daylight and cold stones. He briefly considered flying back to Jade Mountain Academy, but felt guilty about leaving his clawmate alone. Not that Coconut would have noticed.

In the Mud Kingdom, Marsh had slept in a cozy pile of brothers and sisters. Here, with the hollow wind and the still water and the peaks receding into the distance like they never ended, Marsh suddenly felt very lonely.

"Marsh," mumbled Coconut, peering over the edge of the hammock.

"Oh, yeah, Coconut?" Marsh said, shaking himself out of his reverie.

"Are you coming?"

Marsh paused. "You mean, in the hammock? With you?"

"Yeah?" said Coconut, as if that was the only obvious course of action.

Uncertainly, Marsh flew up to the hammock and carefully put his talons down around Coconut, who had already rolled over and closed his eyes. For a moment, Marsh was afraid that his weight would snap the fabric, but the hammock only bounced lightly up and down.

There was no way for Marsh to lie down on the hammock without pressing up against his clawmate's body. He guessed getting close and snuggly with other dragons must have been a RainWing thing. It felt weird regardless. Marsh slowly lay down next to Coconut's warm body, let his head rest against Coconut's long neck, and quietly breathed out. It was different from what he was used to, with the gentle sway of the hammock and the light of the sun on his back. But it was nice.

Coconut started snoring lightly, and Marsh had to stifle a giggle. _Now THAT will take some getting used to._

But Marsh didn't feel anxious like he had the night before. Maybe it was the feeling of a warm body next to him, or the cool air of the mountainside. His muscles relaxed one by one, and sleep soon wrapped its soothing wings around him as well.


	6. Qibli's Secret Stash

Jade Mountain Academy's main hall was packed for a school-wide assembly. The dragonets whispered to each other nervously.

"The Academy has been at peace for a long time," said Moon in a low voice. "What's going on now?"

"Maybe there's been another attack," said Kinkajou. "Or maybe a dragonet went missing!"

Qibli could see the anxiety in Moon's eyes. "Or," he said, "maybe they're announcing that we've run out of fish in the prey center." He gently nudged his girlfriend, who gave him a grateful smile. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Not the fish," said Turtle in dismay. "Anything but that."

"Quiet!" called Fatespeaker from the front of the room, looking extremely uncomfortable. She stood beside Tsunami, Clay, and Starflight, while Sunny was on the platform by the Academy's giant gong. "Uh, settle down, everybody! Sunny is going to speak now."

Sunny gave the crowd a smile that looked a little forced. "Students," she started. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we called you here today. First of all, I just want to let you know that nobody is in danger, so please don't worry. And nobody is in trouble, as long as you cooperate with us."

"Can you hear what she's thinking?" asked Qibli.

"No," said Moon, furrowing her brow. "It's too noisy in here."

Sunny cleared her throat. "We just wanted to let you know that we have discovered materials of a... provocative nature..."

Qibli froze.

"...in the Jade Winglet caves."

Kinkajou, Turtle, and Moon gave each other questioning looks as another wave of whispering spread through the crowd. Qibli put on his best puzzled expression and gently parted himself from Moon's side. He felt his bag, making sure his skyfire was still inside. He had never appreciated that piece of rock more than he did now.

"Again, there is nothing to be worried about!" said Sunny. "But belongings of this nature are highly inappropriate, and will not be tolerated at Jade Mountain Academy."

"What is she talking about?" said Moon, who looked genuinely puzzled. "Do you think someone planted weapons in our sleeping caves?"

"I have no idea," said Qibli.

_Don't lose your cool, Qibli. You don't know anything about this. You're just as confused as the others. _

"Of course, we have confiscated the materials," continued Sunny. "And Fatespeaker is currently keeping them safe and out of reach."

Qibli looked over at Fatespeaker, whose eyes were fixed on the ground. The NightWing's gaze slid slowly toward Sunny, then shot back down, her expression overcome with embarrassment.

_Why are the dragonets of destiny making such a big deal out of this, anyway?_ Qibli thought. _This kind of thing is a normal, healthy part of growing up. Then again, the dragonets of destiny grew up under a rock. Literally._

"If the culprit will come to us and talk to us honestly," said Sunny, "no further consequences will be necessary."

"Really," chimed in Tsunami, who didn't look so much embarrassed as gleeful. "We just want to talk."

_Yeah, right. No way in Pyrrhia I'm talking to Sunny about this, of all dragons. Imagine if she told Thorn!_

"That is all," said Sunny. "Thank you so much for being such wonderful, responsible students. You are dismissed."

Qibli immediately darted through the crowd, leaving the rest of the Jade Winglet behind to speculate with each other. Before long, he had reached the corner of the Jade Winglet common room, where he started to wiggle a loose stone out of place.

_Please, please, PLEASE don't tell me they found both stashes_.

Qibli removed the stone and stuck one talon inside the hole, pulling out a set of colorful magazines.

"Oh, thank god," he breathed.

"Qibli?" said Turtle from the entrance to the chamber. Qibli spun around and shoved the magazines behind his back, internally cursing himself for being so careless.

"Heyyy, Turtle," he said with a casual smile. "What's up?"

"It's okay," said Turtle in a low voice. "You don't have to hide it from me."

Qibli's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Yes," said Turtle. "I'm also a fan of Captain Cactuslicker and the Incredible Lizardlord."

"Three moons," said Qibli, sagging in relief. "I thought I was the only one that read comic books."

"Did you see Fatespeaker's face?" said Turtle gleefully. "I just know she's a closet Lizardling."

Qibli grinned. "Wait 'til I introduce her to Captain Cactuslicker and the Incredible Lizardlord: The Saga of the Sinister Succulents from Outer Space."

"Oh, that was a good one!" said Turtle. "When the Succulents laid siege to Lizardlord's indestructible Lizard Lodge? Absolute classic."

"Honestly, these dragons have no appreciation for great literature," said Qibli, shaking his head.


	7. Avalanche's Return (Part 1)

"OCHRE!"

The MudWing woke up in an instant as Flame crashed into his cave.

"Huh? What?" said Ochre, blinking away the sleep.

"You ate my pet fox," said Flame, slowly.

Ochre narrowed his brow. "Nuh-uh. I didn't eat any..." He trailed off as he remembered the little gray fox that he had caught slinking around Viper's den. "Ohhh. THAT fox?"

"I told you to stay away from Shadow," said Flame, even slower. Ochre noticed smoke rising from his nostrils in a worrying way.

"Well, how was I supposed to know THAT fox was yours?" said Ochre, getting to his feet. "It could have been any fox. There are a lot of foxes in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains, you know."

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" screamed Flame, diving forward. With a cry of alarm, Ochre dove under the SkyWing's plume of fire and darted out of the cave. Flame flew out in pursuit. "GET BACK HERE, YOU STUPID MUDWING!"

One minute later, Flame was trapped under Cirrus' claws, tail thrashing, while Ochre cowered behind Nautilus. Nautilus gave the two dragonets exasperated looks. It was a dim, foggy morning, and dragons were peering out all over the mountain camp to see what was going on.

"Ochre," said Nautilus. "Apologize to Flame."

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it was your fox," said Ochre, rolling his eyes. Flame hissed, and the MudWing jumped closer to Nautilus.

"Flame," said Nautilus. "Apologize to Ochre."

"I'm sorry I didn't kill you when I had the chance," spit Flame.

Cirrus knocked the young SkyWing on the head, setting off another round of hissing and struggling. Still, the adult IceWing's weight was too much for Flame to throw off. "Calm your tail, SkyWing. No one's killing anyone today."

"Apologize. To Ochre."

"I'm sorry," growled Flame.

Cirrus finally released Flame, who shoved the IceWing away. He gave Ochre one last glare. "I'm not going to forget about this, MudWing. I'll kill you. You'd better watch your back."

Flame turned around to take off, but he froze, wings half-unfurled, at the sight of the SkyWing who had appeared behind him. She was cherry red, like Flame, and she wore a large messenger bag. Her expression was filled with concern.

"Mom?" he said, in astonishment.

"Flame," said Avalanche. "What's happened to you?"

Flame stared at his mother for a long moment, eyes wide, as if he wasn't sure if he should hug her or claw her. Then he snapped open his wide wings and dove off the mountain face, leaving the Talon camp behind.

"Avalanche," said Nautilus, approaching the large SkyWing. "You've finally returned, after all these months. Sorry about all this. The dragonets were up to some nonsense this morning."

"What have you done to my son?" snarled Avalanche. She turned from Nautilus' confused face and took off after Flame, disappearing into the mist.


	8. Avalanche's Return (Part 2)

Flame sat on a rock shelf, looking out at the gray sea.

"Flame," said Avalanche, touching down heavily next to her son. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just a can of worms," he muttered.

"Look at me when I speak," said Avalanche. Flame turned to scowl at her. "This isn't how I raised you. What happened to my sweet little dragonet?"

"I'm not your little dragonet anymore," snapped Flame. "You can't tell me what to do."

Avalanche clucked her tongue. "Have the Talons been mistreating you?"

"Have they been mistreating me?" said Flame. "They keep us cooped up on this mountain to fight with each other all day. It's boring and cold and the food is horrible."

"Didn't you make any friends?" said Avalanche.

"I guess Viper's okay," said Flame. "But the other dragonets hate me."

"Maybe that's because you threaten to kill them."

"He ATE my FOX!" roared Flame, getting to his feet.

"Don't raise your voice at your mother."

"How could you leave me here, mom?" said Flame. "It's been eighteen months! Eighteen months and no dragon will talk to me except to yell at me!" His wings were outstretched in anger. Despite over a year of growth, he still looked like a runt next to his mother. He felt tears in his eyes, but he refused to cry.

Avalanche sighed and reached for Flame with her wings. "I'm sorry, baby. I had to do my job."

Flame ducked away. "You should have taken me with you."

"It's too dangerous in the Sky Kingdom," said Avalanche. "You know that. You're not registered with the breeding program. If Queen Scarlet's soldiers found out-"

"Who cares about Queen Scarlet!" said Flame. "Anything's better than this shitty mountain!"

"Don't say that—"

"Stop telling me what to do! You flew away and left me behind like a sick nestling! You don't get to tell me what to do!"

Flame stopped, breathing hard. He expected Avalanche to be angry. That's what usually happened when he talked back to her. It never ended well for him.

"Flame. Come here."

Flame glared at his mother, but reluctantly walked forward. Was she going to hit him? She'd never done that before. But he'd never yelled at her this much either. He braced himself, just in case.

Avalanche wrapped her wings around Flame. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "But I'm back now. It's going to be okay."

Flame leaned into his mother's chest and shut his eyes tightly, but he didn't cry. The mist spiraled around them, carving a little world out of time and space where they were alone.


	9. Fruit Vendor

"Five silver," said Shimmer. "No less."

"I'll pay two silver and no more," said the SandWing. "I could get this fruit for a few pennies in the Kingdom of Sand."

"The tangelo is a cross-breed produced by the RainWings and is only found in the heart of the Rainforest Kingdom," said Shimmer patiently. "You can't get it anywhere else."

The SandWing took one of the round, orange fruits from its bin. "You've got to be kidding me. This is obviously a tangerine."

"The tangelo is larger, sweeter, and juicier than—"

Shimmer's head snapped to the side. Her ruff flashed emerald in displeasure.

"What's wrong, RainWing?" asked the SandWing.

It was a busy afternoon in Possibility, and the market bustled with dragons of all tribes bartering and hawking their wares. It would be difficult for anyone to pick out something out of place. But for a dragon who had grown up up spotting camouflaged RainWings in the rainforest...

"Thief!" Shimmer cried, diving over a box of pears to apprehend a startled young SandWing. The dragonet ducked out of her grasp and shot into the sky, a few pieces of fruit tumbling from her bulging bag. Shimmer stepped back with a huff and took a long, hollow rod from the countertop.

"Aren't you going to chase her?" said the SandWing customer.

"And leave you to take your pick of my wares?" said Shimmer. Bringing the rod to her mouth, she carefully took aim at the distant dragon and blew a puff of air.

The thief's wings faltered in midair. She veered toward the ground and crashed loudly in the center of the market, making dragons leap away and cry out in surprise.

"As I was saying," said Shimmer, replacing her blowgun. "Five silver and no less."

* * *

Author's Note

This ficlet is based on an awesome RainWing drawing by oliveiine on Tumblr. Thanks for the inspiration!


	10. Turtle's Day Off

When they realized Turtle was gone, the whole Jade Winglet went into a panic.

"Anemone hasn't seen him," said Qibli, hurrying into the common room. "Neither has Pike or Barracuda, but I couldn't track down Snail. Is Turtle friends with Snail?"

"He hasn't been to any of his classes, either," said Moon. "That means he disappeared early this morning or last night."

"Is it something I said?" Peril said, who was pacing back and forth in a dangerous way. "Is he mad at me? Why does this whole friendship thing have to be so hard?"

Wren, the new MudWing student who had replaced Umber, gave Peril a dirty look. She was seated in the corner, far away from Peril's firescales, with her broad tail curled in closely.

"I hope he's okay," said Hoarfrost, the new IceWing. "What if he was kidnapped?"

"Or maybe he got fed up with all of you and went back to the Kingdom of the Sea," muttered Wren.

"Moon..." said Qibli. "Do you think, his powers..."

Moon shook her head, but it was obvious she was thinking the same thing. "His soul is safe. The soul spell is working. At least, we thought it was working."

"GUYS!" said Kinkajou, bursting into the room. "I found him!"

It turned out Turtle was in the large swimming cave below the academy. His dark, green form was just visible beneath the seaweed at the deep end of the pool. After a moment of hushed argument, Wren, the best swimmer among them, was sent in to retrieve him.

"Oh, hey guys," said Turtle, surfacing next to the grumpy MudWing. He rubbed his face sleepily. "What are you doing down here?"

"TURTLE," said Peril. "We were SO WORRIED! How could you just disappear like that?"

"Are you okay?" said Moon. "Why didn't you go to class today?"

"Oh, I guess I just lost track of time," said Turtle, sheepishly. "You didn't need to worry about me."

Qibli gave him a skeptical look. "So you were just out for a late-night swim, huh?"

"Yeah, something like that," said Turtle, climbing out of the water.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Moon, with a sweet smile. "We'd better go back and tell Tsunami we found you."

"You guys go ahead," said Turtle. "I'll be up in a moment."

The dragonets chattered among themselves as they walked out of the swimming cave. Turtle lagged behind, shaking out his wet scales.

"Okay, mister," said Kinkajou, who was suddenly in front of him. "Tell me the truth."

"Huh?" said Turtle.

"Maybe the other dragonets believe you, but you can't fool me. Not in a million years. What are you REALLY doing out here?"

Turtle saw the concern in her eyes, despite her best effort to keep her scales an angry orange-pink. "Nothing, really," he said. "I couldn't sleep."

"Is this about your manuscript being almost done?" said Kinkajou. "You must be super duper excited. I know if I were you I wouldn't be able to sleep at ALL."

"I guess?" he said. "I'm just worried about when other dragons start reading it. My mother is kind of the most famous writer in all of Pyrrhia. Those are some big talonprints to fill."

"Turtle. Listen to me. Your book is _amazing,_" said Kinkajou, taking his talons in hers. "It's pretty much the best book I've ever read. And I know I haven't read a lot of books yet because I'm still learning to read, but even if I had, it would STILL be the best. And all of us are here to cheer you on!"

"That's another thing," said Turtle, rubbing his claws. "I'm worried about what's going to happen when the year is over. Queen Coral announced reforms for the royal family just a week ago. Which is good. Honestly, that was a long time coming. I'm just worried she'll ask me and Anemone to come back."

"Oh no," said Kinkajou, in a hushed voice.

"I just thought, after that whole world-saving business, my life was going to change, somehow," said Turtle. "I was going to write a book and make new friends and finally be the hero of my own story."

"And you don't think you can do that anymore?"

"It's not that," said Turtle, quietly. "It's just that I'm having the same old problems all over again, and... I'm worried I'll go back to being nobody."

"Oh, Turtle," Kinkajou said, wrapping the SeaWing in her wings. "You'll always be somebody to me."

Turtle returned the hug with a goofy smile. "Thanks, Kinkajou."

"Anyway," said Kinkajou, refolding her wings. "You missed breakfast and lunch. You must be STARVING. You'll feel better when you eat. That always makes _me_ feel better."

"I could go for a nice squid right now," said Turtle, thoughtfully.

"And no more skipping classes!" Kinkajou started marching toward the exit of the swimming cave. "You're suffering through History with me even if I have to drag you there. Are you coming or what?"

Turtle hesitated, then said the words that were on his mind: "I'll go anywhere with you, Kinkajou."

Kinkajou gave him a sly grin over her shoulder. "Okay, silly, but just to the prey center is fine for now."


	11. Stonemover

When Thorn was a dragonet, she owned a little SandWing doll stitched out of linen and stuffed with wool. The doll was named Beetle and it kept her company on the long nights when her mother was away on business. When Thorn's mother was particularly angry, she would throw Beetle in a cave by their home and seal it with a large slab of granite that strained at her muscles. "When you're strong enough to move the rock," she said, "then you can play with your toys."

Thorn never could move the rock. But one night when she couldn't sleep, she found a slab of wood at the empty marketplace and dragged it to the cave. She propped it up on a small ridge, wedged one end of it under the stone, and jumped up and down on the other end to send the stone rolling. She retrieved Beetle and curled up by the conquered stone, feeling proud of herself.

When her mother found out the next morning, she was not pleased. She hit Thorn and accused her of getting help from another dragon to move the rock. That was when Thorn had run away from home.

Many years later, Thorn flew through the cold desert night, the Scorpion Den behind her. She felt like a dragonet again, running away from her problems. She often visualized her obstacles as boulders. They were just rocks that she could move if she was fierce and clever and determined enough. But there was only so much she could take of the Scorpion Den; the thieves, the fighting, the endless lines for water. She needed a break.

Thorn flew low to the ground, squinting through the cacti and skeletal shrubs. A dry wind blew sand over her scales. She could see someone shuffling around whose scales blended in with the shadows. Could it be... a NightWing?

Curiosity got the best of Thorn. She landed on the ground behind him. "What are you doing?"

The dragon jumped. "Oh, nothing!" he said. "Nothing at all. I'm just a traveler. I'm afraid I've gotten a little lost." He twiddled his claws and gave Thorn a nervous look.

Thorn tilted her head. She'd never seen a NightWing before. His scales were as black as the night sky, and he spoke in an accent she'd never heard before. His worried little movements clearly indicated that he was lying. It was almost endearing.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Stonemover," said the NightWing.


	12. Rain

– Qibli –

I've always preferred the sun.

When it rained in the Kingdom of Sand, it was wet and sloppy and the sand clung to your scales.

When it rained at Jade Mountain Academy, it was gloomy and cold and little rivulets ran through the hallways that we had to hop over.

When I conjured a storm during the Battle of Jade Mountain, I was desperate and afraid, and it was like the sun would never come out again.

(Really. I figured Darkstalker's first edict as king of Pyrrhia would be to ban the sunlight, just to make it clear the world belonged to the NightWings and no one else.)

Then I found out you preferred the rain.

You told me it was calming and drowned out all the voices you heard in your head.

I guessed it rained a lot where you grew up, and you could sit under a tall tree and watch the droplets pit-pat on the ground.

But I didn't like the idea of my view being blurred, my thoughts being obscured, or not having access to the information I could need at any moment.

(Like Queen Glory once said, what kind of dragon enjoys weather that makes it so hard to fly?)

But when we were bundled up in a cave somewhere in the mountains, there was nothing to see or to think about.

The sound of the rain blended with your heartbeat.

It wasn't Qibli versus his siblings, the Outclaws versus the Scorpion Den, or the Jade Winglet versus Pyrrhia.

Just the two of us and a quiet world that was finally at peace.

And I finally got it.

* * *

"I just figured out why you like the rain so much," I said, nuzzling Moon under her chin.

"Why?" she said.

"Because it calms your mig-RAINS."

"Qibli, that's so dumb," she said, laughing.

* * *

Author's Note

This story was originally a list poem, but I had to remove the formatting for FF net. You can find the original on my Tumblr at nivrad00.


	13. Omelets

Marsh scurried across the kitchen. "You haven't lived if you've never had an authentic Caiman omelet," he said.

"You eat caimans?" said Boto, looking a little green — literally.

"No!" said Marsh. "Well, yes. Sometimes." He dumped a talonful of diced onions into the pan. "Caiman is the name of the village where I grew up. These are just omelets."

"Okay. Just making sure you know that we're vegetarians," said Boto, gesturing to himself and Coconut.

Marsh glanced at Coconut, checking if his clawmate was still there, or if he looked interested in what Marsh was doing, or what. Currently, he seemed to be engrossed by a tomato sitting on the counter.

"I want meat on mine," said Mindreader.

"Me too!" said Pronghorn.

"Don't worry," said Marsh. "I've got you covered."

Marsh felt as if each student's gaze was boring into him. He tapped the counter restlessly with his claws. He hoped none of them could tell how nervous he was.

_What if they don't like it? Or what if I mess it up? What if I give Caiman and all the MudWings at Jade Mountain Academy a bad name?_

"Are those mushrooms?" said Boto, peering into a bin on the counter.

"Yep. White mushrooms." Marsh started folding the omelets over.

"We don't eat mushrooms in the rainforest," said Boto. "They're poisonous. It's the first thing they teach dragonets."

"Well, um, I don't know about the rainforest, but the ones in the Mud Kingdom are edible," said Marsh. "There's lots of different kinds. Like, white mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms…"

"I'm sorry," said Boto, leaning forward. "_Shit-talking _mushrooms?"

Pronghorn burst out laughing, making Coconut look up in alarm. "Shii-ta-ke, you walnut."

"Oh," said Boto, scales flashing emerald. "Who even names these things?"

"I think it's done," said Marsh, nervously peering into the pan.

"Alright!" cheered Mindreader. "I'm starving!"

A few minutes later, the omelets had been distributed and the dragonets were munching away in one of the Academy's lounges. Marsh sat down on a cushion next to Coconut and forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Could use more meat," said Pronghorn, thoughtfully.

"I think it's delicious," said Mindreader.

"I'd rather have a melon," muttered Boto.

Marsh looked at Coconut. The RainWing hadn't said anything in a while, though he was almost done with his meal. He had turned his scales the color of a tomato, which revealed nothing about his thoughts. Unless he was thinking about tomatoes.

"What do you think, Coconut?" said Marsh, grinning awkwardly.

"It's not bad," said Coconut. He licked off his talons and gave Marsh a friendly nuzzle. "Thanks, Marsh."

"Oh," said Marsh. He pulled away from Coconut and glanced at the other dragonets, embarrassed, but they were all engrossed in their food. "Um, you're welcome."

"Yeah, thanks, Marsh," said Pronghorn. "This was really sweet of you to do."

"Thanks, Marsh," said Mindreader.

"Thanks," said Boto.

"Oh, it's no problem," said Marsh, his face creeping into a smile. He gave in and leaned against Coconut's warm scales. Coconut's ruffs were tinged with pink.


	14. Beetle and the Dragon Cave

The beetle didn't understand how it had gotten here, but it understood that it was in mortal danger. It cowered against the wall as dragon claws galumphed back and forth, wings flapping through the air, fire occasionally pluming from their snouts. How was it going to get out of this mess?

"Don't be scared, little guy," said a small yellow dragon, who quickly scooped the beetle from the ground. The beetle scurried around nervously, but the dragon clasped her talons tightly together, blocking off any escape.

"This is ridiculous," said a loud blue dragon. "It's just going to be eaten by a bird or something as soon as you release it."

"You know the whole point of the Academy is to promote compassion and coexistence," said the yellow dragon, walking to the entrance.

"Yeah. Between _dragons_. If you haven't noticed, you're holding a beetle."

"I think a beetle deserves kindness too," said the yellow dragon, hiding a smile.

The blue dragon rolled its eyes. "Aren't you in a good mood today."

The yellow dragon opened her talons, letting the beetle leap to safety. "Stay safe, little guy," the dragon said.


	15. What Do You Mean There's No Washrooms?

"What do you MEAN there's no washrooms?" said Winter.

"It's a cave, Winter," said Tsunami. "How could we install a bathroom? Just go outside."

Qibli smirked. "Tsunami, you forget you're talking to—"

"Principal Tsunami, you forget you are talking to a PRINCE," said Winter, unfolding his wings in indignation. "First, I'm forced to share a room with this rude SandWing, and now you're telling me to urinate outside like a filthy urchin?"

Qibli looked like he was going to implode with laughter. "_Urinate like a filthy urchin_," he squeaked.

"To be fair, it must be hard to hide it in Ice Kingdom," said Turtle. "There's no dirt."

"Ew!" said Kinkajou. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Carnelian watched from the corner, looking vaguely amused. Moon looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"In case you forgot, Winter," said Tsunami. "I'm a princess too. But while you're here, you're a _student_, and you're just going to have to go outside like every other dragon at this school!"

"ARGH," said Winter. "Queen Glacier will be hearing about this. Mark my words." He turned and stormed out of the Jade Winglet caves.

"Tell us if you need any help!" yelled Qibli.

"Wait," said Turtle. "Principal Tsunami. If you grew up trapped in a cave under the mountain, how did _you _use the bathroom?"

Tsunami paused. "Uhhh, I gotta go. Homeroom is over. Enjoy your classes!" The SeaWing dashed out of the room. Qibli started howling in laughter.

"You're all so immature," sniffed Kinkajou.


	16. A New Leaf: 1 The Rainforest Court

– Glory –

Some days I had second thoughts about this whole queen business.

I cared about the RainWings. I really did. And the NightWings, too, like a trouble-making sibling. But some days, when the hearing line was long and the air was muggy and thick, I missed my friends more than anything in the world. (Not that I would ever say something so sappy to them. Tsunami would never let me hear the end of it.)

Challenging the throne had been an impulse decision. A desperate attempt to save the RainWing prisoners on the volcanic island, who have now all been rescued. So how had it become a lifetime commitment? A lifetime of drawing up hatchery regulations and breaking up inter-village squabbles and teaching RainWings to read?

Would things have _really_ been so bad if the other queens were still in charge?

Some days I wondered if I was even qualified for this position. I mean, okay, obviously I was more qualified than Fruit Bat and crew. But I was the youngest queen in Pyrrhia besides Snowfall, who, as I understood it, was more of a figurehead anyway. I'd grown up in a cave, for moons' sake. I didn't know the difference between a kapok and a silk floss tree, or how to preside over a NightWing council meeting, or how many orchid wreaths were needed for a dragonfly festival. (About fifty, as it turns out.)

The fact is, the RainWings didn't need me, the NightWings didn't want me, and they were all more than vocal about that.

"Next," I called, looking out the window. There were only two dragons left in line: Liana, and a nervous-looking NightWing. After I spoke to them, I could go have sun time. Thank the moons.

The two of them came through the vine curtain together.

"Liana," I said. "And… Umbra?"

"Eclipse, Your Majesty," said the NightWing, fidgeting with her claws. "Umbra is my sister."

"Sorry, sorry," I said, massaging my head. Clearly, I was still distracted. "Eclipse. I knew that. How can I help you today?"

"We want to get married," said Liana.

_That_ got my attention. I tried to prevent shocked yellow from spreading across my scales. "But... I thought RainWings didn't get married."

"NightWings do!" said Eclipse. "Or they used to."

Invisible murmurs spread through my hidden guard. A million thoughts ran through my head.

_This could be big. For all of Pyrrhia, not just us. I would need Deathbringer to teach me about NightWing marriages. And someone to prepare the ceremony. Or maybe I should do it myself. This is a sensitive matter, so I shouldn't leave anything up to chance. I didn't know Liana was seeing a NightWing. Does it matter that they're both female? What are the tribes going to think about this? _And so on and so forth.

The two dragons were waiting expectantly, but I couldn't bring myself to speak. I wanted to say yes. A good queen would have said yes. But how could I handle such a momentous event on top of everything else?

"Glory," said Liana. "There's something else I wanted to ask you."

"Yes, of course."

"Why won't you let us help you?" she said.

"What do you mean?" I said. "Liana, your service on the border patrol is indispensable to—"

"Oh, drop the fancy talk," said Liana. "Come on, Glory. We can all see your scales going dull with stress. You need help."

I was speechless. Also, a little offended. My scales were just as vibrant as usual, thank you very much.

"Is it that obvious?" I said.

Liana gave a sideways look at Eclipse, who shrugged. "I just don't think it's good for the RainWings to see their queen look so exhausted," said Liana.

"But there's so much I need to do," I lamented. "And moons forbid the NightWings just let me _help_ them. The constant resentment just makes things harder for everyone."

"Maybe that's because..." Eclipse started hesitantly, but I could already see where I was going wrong.

"Because they're used to doing it their way and they think I'm being pushy," I muttered. Then I felt bad for talking over Eclipse. What was that about being pushy?

"You know there are hundreds of RainWings lying around with nothing to do, right?" said Liana. "You've done so much for us. Let us do something for you."

"The NightWings want to help, too," said Eclipse. "We're used to ruling ourselves. We can help!"

"There's a rainforest court out there waiting for you," said Liana.

I turned the thought over in my head. I could hire some more royal advisers. Maybe the NightWings would be more cooperative if I had a NightWing representative handle their affairs. And the RainWings could do a lot on their own if they just had someone to prod them. Hell, Orchid was already handling most of the hatchery work. I could give her some sort of official title and be done with it.

I realized Eclipse and Liana were still waiting for a response. I swallowed my pride. They were right – I was trying to do everything by myself, again_._ They very thing I learned not to do when I made the challenge for the throne. Old habits die hard, I guess.

"Liana, Eclipse, I'll be in touch," I said. "There are some reforms I need to make. And you two are going to get married if it's my last act as queen."

Liana bowed respectfully, her scales fringed with pink.

"Yes!" cried Eclipse. "Oh, sorry, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty." She hastily bowed as well.

"Just Glory is fine," I said. "Heliconia?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the RainWing guard, turning visible.

"What did I just – you know what, never mind. Can you make an announcement about the wedding at this week's forum before the rumors get out of talon?"

Heliconia hesitated. "You want _me _to make an announcement? But what if they ask me questions?"

"Guess you'll just have to answer them," I said. "Just try not to make anyone angry. Dodge the question if you have to."

Heliconia nodded nervously.

"And you two. Not a word to your friends until we make it public, okay?" I said.

"Yes, your high – Glory," said Eclipse.

"Yes, Glory," said Liana.

I checked the position of the sun out the window. I probably had time to draft a letter to my friends before sun time. "Go get some rest. It's time we turned over a new leaf."

_The Rainforest Court. That has a nice ring to it._


	17. A New Leaf: 2 The Saboteur

– Jambu –

"I'm so excited!" I cried, flying in giant loops. "I've been hanging floral arrangements in the Arboretum all day. And the others are working hard, too. Did you know Mangrove gathered some dragonfruit for the wedding? That's my favorite fruit!"

My scales were pink from excitement. And I know what you're thinking. My scales are _always_ pink. But I swear they were pinker and brighter than they'd ever been my entire life.

"Thanks, Jambu," said Liana, casting a worried look around the trees. "But could you maybe not act like a beacon for the whole rainforest to see? It's _supposed _to be a secret."

"Sorry," I said, lowering my voice. "I'm just really, really happy for you. Eclipse is so sweet, for a NightWing."

"What do you mean, _for a NightWing_?"

"Oh, you know, NightWings tend to be kind of..." I trailed off, hoping Liana would get the gist, but she didn't respond or look at me. Orange was shimmering in her wings. "You know what I mean," I muttered. "I just wanted to say Eclipse is sweet, is all."

_Wow, _I thought. _Sensitive subject, I guess._

We were soaring toward the outskirts of the NightWing village, where Mightyclaws – the dragon that Darkstalker empowered to turn art into reality – had drawn up a dark, wooden house for Eclipse. Soon to be Liana's home as well! Or would they move into the RainWing village? I couldn't say. A RainWing and a NightWing had never been married before. That's what made it so exciting!

"Eclipse," called Liana, landing by the hut. "I'm home!"

"Liana?" The small NightWing poked her head around the door furtively.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" said Liana, worried green spreading across her scales.

My attention was drawn away from the two lovebirds, which was difficult, when they were being so cute. Something had caught my eye around the corner of the house.

"Uhhh, Liana," I said. "You might want to see this."

Liana put a wing around Eclipse, who remained silent, and they walked to my side. Together, we looked at the big, red letters painted on the wall beside a smashed window.

"What does it say?" I whispered.

Eclipse swallowed. "It says _die, traitor._"

* * *

I was worried. On edge. Like I would jump out of my scales at any moment. I hadn't felt like this since Glory had led an army of invisible RainWings on a rescue mission to the volcanic island. At least then, the NightWings had been minding their own business, making up prophecies or whatever NightWings did in their free time. Now, I was sitting atop a marble platform that Mightyclaws had drawn up, staring a crowd of NightWings in the eyes.

"Is it just me," whispered Glory, "or are the NightWings and RainWings standing farther apart than usual?"

"I don't know," I said. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either, Jambu, but it has to be done," Glory said. "And could you please do something about your scales? Blue and brown are not exactly princely."

"I can't help it," I said, mournfully.

"Attention!" called Deathbringer, from just off the platform. "The NightWing-RainWing forum is now in session. We'll start this week with announcements from the Rainforest Court. Heliconia?"

Heliconia hopped onto the stage, her scales a calm and collected purple.

"The dragonfly festival is only three weeks away," she said to the crowd. "For the first time ever, we would like to extend an invitation to the NightWings to celebrate with us in the RainWing village, if they so choose."

A murmuring broke out among the gathered RainWings. If I had to guess, this idea hadn't been run past the villagers before-talon.

"Additionally, in the wake of Swiftwings' injury, the queen has declared the venom training grounds and surrounding areas off-limits for NightWings that have not received proper training. NightWings are encouraged to ask a RainWing for help navigating that part of the forest."

Angry discussion broke out among the NightWings as well. I gulped nervously.

"Finally," Heliconia said, keeping her scales remarkably calm, "we will be holding a wedding for... ahem. We will be holding a wedding at the Arboretum in one week's time. That is all."

"Wait," called a NightWing, giving Heliconia a suspicious look. "Who's getting married?"

Heliconia cleared her throat again, glancing down at her talons, as if the answer was written on them. "Eclipse and Liana," she said.

The forum exploded with indignant cries. Heliconia gave Glory a panicked look, but the queen just sat tight-lipped on the stage. Me, I shrank down, shivering. Hopefully the others would take care of it and leave poor Jambu out of it.

"Order in the forum!" shouted Deathbringer, to no avail. "We are here to have a civil discussion! Mother of lava, would you all calm down?"

I glimpsed a NightWing slip out of the crowd, cast a suspicious looking glance behind her, and dart past the tree line.

"Glory!" I whispered, tugging on her arm. "Look. A NightWing just left."

"If you haven't noticed," said Glory tightly, "There are more important things to deal with right now."

I squinted at the forest where the NightWing had gone. She had been headed right toward the Arboretum, where we were preparing the wedding. She _had _to be up to something.

"Gloryyy, I really think we should do something about this," I said, hopping nervously on my talons.

"Not right now, Jambu," she said in her stern, no-talking-back voice. Which doesn't really make sense, if you ask me, because even though she's the queen, she's still my little sister by three years. Regardless, I didn't think she was going to do anything about this.

I looked anxiously around the forum, where Deathbringer and Heliconia were still trying to calm the crowd. I wanted to know what the runaway NightWing was doing. I wouldn't have to be gone for long. After what happened to Eclipse's house... well, better safe than sorry, I guess. I stepped off the stage and dashed into the forest.

The NightWing wasn't hard to spot in the shadowy understory. Despite her small size, her body wasn't designed for traveling in the rainforest like mine was. I camouflaged my scales and quietly followed her through the branches, my heart beating furiously. Dear moons, I hoped my nervous scales wouldn't betray me.

We arrived at the Arboretum without incident, where I perched on a high branch. Draped across the platform were silk banners imported from the Kingdom of Sand, large platters covered in fruits of all shapes and sizes, and vines half-decorated with intricate patterns of flowers. I'd spent a LOT of time weaving those together, by the way. The NightWing gave a furtive look around her, then slashed her claw through a silver banner, shredding it. She toppled a fruit display with a swipe of her tail, then started shredding a wreath of flowers.

"Hey!" I shouted. I barely had time to think. Acting on instinct, I leaped from the tree and tackled the saboteur, sending the decorations flying. "Leave the flowers alone!"

The NightWing slipped out of my grasp and slammed me to the ground. I yelped and squirmed under her talons. I couldn't compete with her wiry strength. Suddenly I wished I had paid more attention to Tsunami's battle training.

"Dumb RainWing," sneered the saboteur. "Do you really think we'd let one of _us _get married to one of _you_?"

I got a good look at her face and gasped. "I know you!"

The NightWing pressed her claws dangerously against my neck, causing blood to seep out in a thin line. My scales turned pale green against my will. "Don't mess with us, RainWing," she snarled. "Unlike you cowardly flower pickers, we're not afraid to draw blood."

She leaped off of me and flew across the platform, tearing banners with her talons as she went. Then she dove off the Arboretum, leaving me to calm my pounding heart.

At times like these, I liked to sit back and count my blessings.

One. I was alive. Which is lucky, because tackling a shady NightWing is a sure way to get hurt or worse.

Two. She'd left the dragonfruit platter alone.

That was all I could think of.

I sat up, gingerly feeling the cut on my neck. I gazed across the Arboretum to where the NightWing had disappeared. I knew for sure I recognized her face, but I could hardly believe it.

_Why is Eclipse's own sister trying to sabotage the wedding?_


	18. A New Leaf: 3 The Pavilion of Stars

– Kinkajou –

I flicked my ears at the sound of wingbeats.

"Deathbringer!" said a rumbly voice that belonged to Clay. "And you must be Liana and Eclipse. Welcome."

"Good to see you again," said a voice I recognized as Deathbringer, Queen Glory's bodyguard-slash-boyfriend. "Glory wants me to tell you thanks again for being so accommodating on such short notice."

"Of course," said Clay. "I'm glad we can help."

"I'm going to head back," said Deathbringer. "Take care of them, will you? Or Glory might actually kill me this time."

"Will do," said Clay.

I glanced around to make sure the corridor was still empty, then scurried closer to the main chamber. Near the entrance of Jade Mountain Academy, the air was frigid and the stone was wet with dew. Frankly, it was terrible. Why did mysterious visitors always have to arrive at the break of dawn? Couldn't they ever arrive during lunch period or after sun time or something convenient like that?

I peeked around the corner. Deathbringer's dark form was already flapping away from the mountain. In the entrance hall stood Clay, Liana, and a miserable-looking NightWing that must have been Eclipse.

"You two must be freezing!" said Clay, limping over to the visitors. "Do you want me to show you where you'll be sleeping?"

"Yes, please," said the NightWing, sounding exhausted. Liana put a comforting wing over her.

Clay motioned for the two to follow. "We decided to put you in the Jade Winglet caves for now, because we still haven't filled the vacancies from the first year. You'll be safe with them." He gave the dragonets a warm smile.

I held my breath and pressed myself against the wall, trusting my camouflaged scales to hide me.

"Excuse me for saying this," said Liana, walking behind, "but Jade Mountain Academy doesn't exactly have a reputation for being safe."

Eclipse elbowed the RainWing. "Liana! Don't be rude!"

"It's true," said Liana, shrugging.

Clay winced. "Well, you're right. But we haven't had any trouble since the whole Darkstalker debacle, I promise."

"What Liana means to say is that we're grateful that you're giving us shelter," said Eclipse. "Things were getting kind of crazy in the rainforest."

"It's the least we can do," said Clay. The three dragons disappeared into the depths of Jade Mountain.

_Liana and Eclipse, _I wondered to myself. _So those are the visitors Sunny was talking about. But w__hat are they doing at JMA? And what the heck is going on in the rainforest?_

As it turns out, I didn't have to wait long to find the answers. All I had to do was ask them at breakfast the next day, which was suspiciously convenient, as far as secret information-gathering missions went.

"You're getting MARRIED?!" I yelled.

"Yes," said Liana, with a huff. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is TOO a big deal!" I countered, leaning over the table. "It's just like a story book! That's amazing!"

"The NightWings and RainWings seem to think otherwise," observed Moon.

"No kidding," said Liana flatly. "They're rioting."

"Well, why are they so worked up about it?" I asked. "There's tons of dragons dating outside of their tribe. Like Moon and Qibli. And what about Glory and Deathbringer?"

_And me and Turtle, _I thought, glancing at the SeaWing in question, who was chomping on some yucky eel thing. Except we weren't _really _dating. It was a complicated situation. A "friends that cuddle sometimes" situation. Also a "Turtle's dumb sister cast a love spell on me so I'm still trying to figure out which feelings are real" situation. Like I said. Complicated.

"I _figured_ Deathbringer was more than a bodyguard," said Liana. "But Glory's careful not to let anything slip. Plausible deniability."

"Getting married is different," said Eclipse, poking at her uneaten prey. "It's a NightWing tradition. It's sacred, almost. Sharing it with another tribe is like... I don't know. Some NightWings feel like it's stealing a piece of their identity."

"You don't have to defend them," said Liana, softly.

"I think it's stupid," I announced. "Traditions, schmaditions. Dragons should be allowed to marry whoever the heck they want."

Moon scratched her chin. "You know, they couldn't argue if you got married at the Pavilion of Stars."

"Oh?" Liana said.

"Oooooh?" I echoed, detecting an interesting story.

"Well, I don't know if the legend is true," said Moon. "But the scrolls say that, in the old Night Kingdom, dragons would be married at an animus-touched pavilion. If their love was true, the pavilion would seal their marriage in stone."

"I've read those scrolls too," said Eclipse, smiling wistfully. Then her smile withered like a flower. "But it's probably just a story. Besides, there's no way something like that has lasted for two thousand years."

"Do you want to find out?" I said in a conspiratorial tone.

"No!" said Turtle, with his mouth full. He accidentally spat a little piece of eel onto the table. "Whoops, sorry. No more adventures. Please. I just want to eat in peace."

"Fine," I pouted. "It's a good idea, though."

"We appreciate it, Kinkajou," said Eclipse. "But I don't think magic is going to solve this problem."

As the conversation moved on to Starflight's upcoming writing test, I noticed Liana and Eclipse giving each other significant looks, like they were communicating with telepathy. Maybe talking without words was a thing that dragons that were truly in love did. Dragons that knew without a doubt they were right for each other and were willing to fight all of Pyrrhia for it.

I briefly wondered if I could beam a message into Turtle's head by staring into his eyes, but that would have looked kind of silly, even for me. Besides, you probably had to get past the "was that a kiss or did he accidentally bonk his snout against mine?" stage before you developed couple's telepathy.

Anyway. I made up my mind by the time classes ended for the day. This wasn't my adventure to get involved in. I wasn't the one who had incited riots through the SHEER POWER of LOVE, after all. Also, I had a writing test in two days, so I didn't have the time for a trek to the Lost City of Night.

But who could blame me for giving them a push in the right direction?

* * *

"CLAY!" shouted Tsunami, bursting into his room.

"What?!" Clay said, leaping out of his cot and nearly tumbling over. "What's wrong? Are we out of prey? Did Darkstalker come back?"

"Have you seen Liana and Eclipse recently?" demanded Tsunami.

"No," said Clay, scratching his head. "Kinkajou came in here after dinnertime to ask me for a map of Pyrrhia and a pen, but I haven't seen anyone since."

"Clay, you idiot!" Tsunami said.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

Tsunami furiously shoved a scroll in Clay's face: a map of Pyrrhia, marked in red ink with a winky face and a circle around the location of the old Night Kingdom.


	19. A New Leaf: 4 The Case for Love

– Liana –

As we flew through the desert night, there was nothing to distract me from my thoughts. Eclipse had on her tough, determined face, like she was still trying to convince herself this is a good decision. I knew that she was thinking about her tribe. Hoping they would learn to get along with the RainWings. Hoping no one got hurt in the riots.

I remembered watching the RainWing-NightWing forum when our marriage had been first announced. We'd sat in a tree branch nearby, not with the others, which turned out to be a good idea. The announcement provoked an uproar. Eclipse looked like she was shrinking into herself, huddling close under my wing despite the muggy temperature. She told me that the NightWings were scared, that they had lost everything but their pride. They didn't look scared to me. They looked mad. But Eclipse was more insightful than I could ever be, so I believed her.

Once Deathbringer had brought the crowd under control, one after another, they flew onto the platform to speak. A few intrepid RainWings too, who were just figuring out this whole politics thing. They argued for separatism. For cultural preservation. For the prevention of hybridism.

But who would make the case for love?

We flew over Darkstalker's Teeth, which made me shiver. Eclipse noticed and brushed her wingtip against mine, which made me feel warmer than a hundred sun times. Then I felt bad. Eclipse had enough on her mind without worrying about me.

I remembered the pain in her eyes when the riots started and we had to leave our home. We sat until dawn that first night at Jade Mountain Academy. Eclipse was totally silent, which is unlike her. I knew her heart had broken for all of her fellow NightWings. But still, she wanted to marry me. Still, she was willing to go through with this crazy idea.

It was easy for me. I didn't care what the other RainWings thought, and I never had. If I had to choose between Eclipse and my tribe, I'd choose Eclipse every time. But Eclipse cared so much about everyone. How did she muster the strength to care all the time? Where did she store it in her little body?

"Liana, look!" Eclipse said.

We crested a hill, and the Lost City of Night revealed itself to us. It was in ruins, a collection of broken stone walls and vine-covered columns in the valley between two mountains. The palace's remaining spires jagged into the stars. It gave me the vibe of a cemetery.

"This place is a dump," I said.

"It's beautiful," Eclipse said at the same time.

I snorted. "Really? What's so beautiful about it?"

"Just the atmosphere," Eclipse said, in wonder. "The history. All this ancient stone."

"Rocks," I said. "We have those at home, sweetheart."

"Oh, hush," said Eclipse. She laughed, a noise I hadn't heard in a while, and glided down to a crumbling courtyard.

We explored the ancient plaza, joking and laughing like we always had. This far away from everything, it felt like a dream. We walked through rotting gardens with half-fallen statues and got spooked by a colony of bats. Nothing was too scary with Eclipse at my side. Nothing could touch us.

I remembered the night I asked her to marry me. I did it on a platform high in the canopy, where she had been teaching me about the stars. She thought I was joking, at first. But then she overflowed with joy. She couldn't believe she would be the first NightWing to be married in hundreds of years. At the time, my biggest worry was deciding what colors to wear to the wedding. But now that was the last thing on my mind.

Eventually, we found the place. We finally figured out why it was called the Pavilion of Stars: It was covered with millions of engravings that twinkled like constellations in the moonlight. On closer inspection, they were all names. Ancient, ancient names, in pairs and sometimes in three. They covered the floor and crawled up the columns and onto the domed roof.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked Eclipse.

"It's just a big rock," said Eclipse, smiling. "We have those at home, remember?"

We approached the altar side by side, just like the stories. I felt electric inside. I didn't know if I was excited or nervous, but I'm sure the colors of my scales were doing something crazy. What we were about to do could have changed Pyrrhia forever. Or a lightning bolt could have smote me where I stood for being the wrong tribe. I don't know.

We kissed for good measure. Then she put her talon on the altar, and I put mine on top of hers. We stood like that for a while.

"It didn't do anything," she whispered.

"Check the stone," I said. "Maybe our names appeared somewhere."

We scrambled across the pavilion, checking all its surfaces for any fresh engravings.

"Maybe we're supposed to engrave the names ourselves," I said. "Wouldn't that suck?"

"I guess magic isn't going to solve all our problems," says Eclipse, wistfully, still scanning the names on the floor. We were both disappointed, but we didn't say anything more.

That's when a NightWing dropped out of the sky.

"There you are," she growled.

"Umbra!" said Eclipse. "How did you find us? How did you get here?"

"That's not important," Umbra said.

"The NightWing tunnel," I answered instead, the realization dawning on me. "It took you straight from the rainforest to the Kingdom of Sand."

"You!" said Umbra. "Stay away from my sister!"

"What are you talking about?" said Eclipse, moving closer to me. "We're engaged, Umbra."

"Don't be ridiculous," Umbra said, stepping closer. "Only a NightWing can be engaged to a NightWing."

"What if a NightWing falls in love with a RainWing?" said Eclipse.

"She seduced you. It's not your fault."

I stayed silent, red boiling over my scales. I didn't want to get between Eclipse and her sister, but I was ready to fight if Umbra did something rash.

"She didn't _seduce _me," Eclipse said in disbelief. "We fell in love."

"You're just confused," said Umbra. "You were always the pretty one. You'll find a nice NightWing some day." She continued pacing forward, as if stalking prey.

"I don't want a NightWing," insisted Eclipse. We stepped backward, almost unconsciously, retreating around the altar.

"Do you even realize what you're doing to our tribe?" asked Umbra. "We're utterly powerless already. Held in the talon of the weakest tribe in Pyrrhia."

"Hey now, that's not fair," I interjected.

"And now you want to destroy our dignity too?" Umbra continued. "Roll over and let them into our way of life? We are NIGHTWINGS! We are the greatest tribe in Pyrrhia! What could you possibly want from a stupid, worm eating RainWing?!"

"Hey! Liana doesn't eat worms!" Eclipse yelled.

"That's not exactly the issue at claw," I muttered.

"I can't let this happen," Umbra said. "The councilors can argue politics in the rainforest all they want. I'm taking action while I still can."

"Wait, Umbra," said Eclipse. We circled around the altar like a messed up merry-go-round, trying to keep it between us and Umbra. "I'm your sister. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Doesn't it matter how I feel?"

"I'm sorry, Eclipse," says Umbra. "But this is bigger than you."

Umbra leaped over the altar. Eclipse tried to intercept her, but Umbra was the older and bulkier sister. She slammed me onto the stone and my head went dizzy. All of Tsunami's battle training left me. I tried to protect my face with my talons.

"Please stop!" I heard Eclipse cry, but she sounded distant. All I could see was Umbra's furious sneer and her sharp, slashing claws. I was afraid I would die before getting to see Eclipse again. Something welled up inside me and I spat venom on Umbra's face.

Everything was a blur after that. Umbra staggering and screaming, Eclipse yelling at her to close her eyes, blood dripping down my astonished face. We needed a RainWing that could counteract my venom, but there were no other RainWings for miles. Eventually, we got Umbra to stop thrashing and took her in our talons, flying her toward the tunnel in the desert. My wings felt like weights and my vision started to go hazy. Hours passed before we emerged in the rainforest, and the venom burned itself out by then anyway. I saw a pair of horrified RainWings coming to help us, and I didn't remember anything after that.

The first time I met Eclipse, I was helping Jambu retrieve an idiot sloth that had gotten tangled in the liana vines – my namesake. Hilarious, I know. Eclipse sounded so concerned, you would have thought the furry little monster was her best friend. At the time, I thought Eclipse was like Ex-Queen Exquisite: a dragon so shallow that her heart only had room for sloths. But the truth is, Eclipse could love every sloth in the world and still have more love to give than I could ever know. One day, I promise, I'll figure out how much love I owe her in return. Then I'll figure out how to pay it all back.


	20. A New Leaf: 5 The Dragonfly Festival

– Glory –

"Heliconia," I said.

"The musicians are in place and having a great time," she reported, smartly. "The guards report no suspicious activity. A few NightWings have joined in. Mostly young ones."

"That's a relief," I said. "Good work, Captain."

"No problem, Your Majesty," she said, beaming. Her scales were violet with pride. The RainWing was thriving in her new position as captain of the royal guard. She had already taken a lot of weight off my shoulders.

"Why don't you take a break and join in," I told her. "I'll call you if any problems arise."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Heliconia, saluting before eagerly diving off the platform. (I didn't teach her to do that, by the way. She picked up up from the NightWings and won't stop doing it.)

I wandered to the edge of my royal platform. The cool rainforest evening was alive with dancing dragons of every color imaginable. Dragonflies darted in and out of the crowd. Firefly lanterns filled the village with a dim light, and the sound of flutes and drums mingled with joyous RainWing voices. The dragonfly festival was well underway.

I breathed deeply and let the sensations flow over me. To be honest, I deserved this relaxing evening, after everything we'd been through the past week. I wished my friends were here to share the sight. Maybe someday we could bring the students of Jade Mountain Academy here on a field trip. I made a mental note to ask my new minister of foreign affairs, a NightWing named Trueflier. We could probably work something out.

I stretched my wings and glided away from the festivities, looking for a certain pair of love-struck dragons. I found them dancing to the distant music on a wooden plaza.

"Queen Glory," said Liana. "Congratulations on putting on your first dragonfly festival."

"It's so beautiful!" gushed Eclipse. "We didn't have anything like it in the Kingdom of Night. Just… wow."

"Thanks," I said. "Honestly, I'm surprised disaster hasn't struck yet. It's been a while since things just... worked out."

Liana gently spun Eclipse, who tripped over her own talons. She fell into Liana's arms and laughed. I rolled my eyes. Those two had no business being so cute.

Liana's face was healing well, though Umbra's claws had left her with scarred scales that would no longer change color. Umbra, however, was not faring well. She was still breathing, but unconscious. Eclipse had spent days in the healer's hut before the healers insisted she give them some space. Liana's venom had missed Umbra's eyes, which meant she had a chance to pull through. But no one knew if she would.

Of course, Liana and Eclipse were officially reprimanded for leaving Jade Mountain Academy alone. (They also received a very strongly-worded letter from Tsunami.) But no one had the heart to punish them. They'd been through enough already.

We held a makeshift criminal investigation, hoping to catch Umbra's accomplices. Her friends all denied any involvement, of course. But between the graffiti, sabotage, riots, and attempted murder, there was a lot of chaos to have been caused by a single dragon. I put my guard on careful watch, but the riots died down after a few harrowing days, and the two villages returned to a reluctant peace.

We never put on that big ceremony in the Arboretum, much to Jambu's chagrin, but I stayed true to my word and organized a little marriage by the river as soon as things calmed down. I got Queen Thorn to source me two silver rings and roped Greatness into officiating the ceremony, as she was the closest thing we had to NightWing royalty. Jambu insisted on being the flower dragonet. Deathbringer carved their names into a boulder. The event were subdued in the wake of Umbra's attack, but I know Liana and Eclipse appreciated it.

As I watched the RainWings cavort in the distance, I ran through my agenda in my head. The next day, I was meeting a delegation from the Kingdom of the Sea, and the day after, I was officiating the opening of the renovated hatchery. I had a lot of work to do. I was still figuring out this whole queen business. But tonight, I was going to relax. Maybe I'd ask Deathbringer if he fancied a spin through the treetops.

I left Liana and Eclipse to their dance and flew upward through the jungle, the colors of the festival blurring around me. I was optimistic for the future of the Rainforest Kingdom. If a RainWing and a NightWing could get married, then maybe the tribes could finally learn how to live at peace.


	21. A Morning with the Talons of Peace

Flame and Viper crouched behind a boulder. It was early in the morning, and the birds were just starting to sing.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" hissed Flame.

"Yes. Be patient, idiot," said Viper.

"This better be worth spending an hour flying back and forth from the shore."

"Shh!" said Viper. "He's waking up."

An indignant roar came from Nautilus' cave. "WHO FILLED MY CAVE WITH CRABS?"

Flame and Viper exchanged barely-constrained looks of glee. Then they laughed so hard they almost fell off the mountain.

"YOU!" bellowed Nautilus, discovering their hiding spot.

"Oh shit," said Viper, leaping off the mountain.

Flame dove after her. "Wait for me!"


	22. Story Time

Anemone read aloud from a scroll in the library. "_'I knew you'd come back to me,' said the Queen. 'I knew you were out there, trying to find your way back. I never stopped searching for you.' She embraced her long-lost daughter, making a vow to never lose her again_."

"Aw," said Tamarin. "That's adorable."

"Really?" Anemone stuck out her tongue. "I can't stand this fish dung. It's so sappy."

"Queen Coral wrote this for Tsunami, didn't she?" said Tamarin.

"Yeah. Don't let Tsunami know we're reading this story. If you do, she won't stop talking about it for DAYS."

"Hey guys," said Boto, peeking around a shelf. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Oh, I hope we're not bothering you," said Tamarin, lowering her ruff.

"Nah," said Boto. "It's just, I'm trying to learn how to read, right? So I was wondering if I could, like, sit here and follow along or something. If you're going to be reading aloud anyway."

"Excuse me," said Anemone. "This is a private event."

"Of course you can!" said Tamarin. "Don't listen to Anemone." She scooted over, making room for the other RainWing.

"Thanks!" said Boto, sitting down.

_I thought Tamarin wanted to spend time with just me, _thought Anemone, pouting.

"Fine," she said at length, "but don't interrupt, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Boto.

* * *

The next week, Boto came into the library with Coconut.

"What are you doing here?" snapped Anemone, who was sitting on a cushion with Tamarin. Another scroll was open in her talons.

"Coconut wanted to hear a story," said Boto, "so I thought you wouldn't mind if he dropped by just this once."

"Hey," said Coconut, drowsily.

"Hi, Coconut!" said Tamarin. "How is that RainWing history project going?"

"Oh, that," he said. "I think I'm getting somewhere. Kind of. History makes my brain hurt."

"Maybe Anemone can read one of your history scrolls next," said Tamarin.

"That would be, like, super cool," said Coconut.

"Is anyone going to ask ME what I want to do?" said Anemone, clenching her talons in frustration.

"Aw, come on, Anemone," said Boto. "It's just Coconut. You'll hardly know he's here."

"Come sit down," said Tamarin, making room for the other dragons on the cushion. Boto flopped down next to her, and Coconut sat down with a yawn.

Anemone wanted to scream. Was it too much to ask for a private moment with Tamarin?

_Patience, Anemone. Do this for Tamarin. Show her how mature you are._

Anemone took a deep breath. "Buckle up, RainWings," she said. "Today, we're reading _Legend of the Hive._"

* * *

The next week, Anemone suggested she and Tamarin go outside to read in the sunlight. Tamarin cheerfully agreed. Anemone led her to a secluded place in the mountains, where they sat down on a warm rock.

"It's a nice day today," said Tamarin, her scales turning the rich green and gray of mossy stone.

"Yep," said Anemone, unfurling her scroll. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

"I really appreciate you doing this," said Tamarin. "It's very sweet of you."

"It's nothing," said Anemone, scratching at the dirt awkwardly. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

"The others will appreciate it too," said Tamarin. "Even if they don't show it."

"…What do you mean, the others?"

"There you are, Tamarin!" said Boto, appearing in the sky with Coconut, Siamang, and Kinkajou behind him. "Look, I got all the RainWings in the school!"

"This is so exciting!" said Kinkajou. "Story time!"

"Do you take requests?" asked Siamang.

Anemone stared at the RainWings and her blood started to boil. She slowly clenched and unclenched her talons, shredding the moss below her.

"Uh, Anemone," said Boto. "You alright there?"

_Why. Won't. You. Leave. Me. ALONE?!_

"Anemone," said Tamarin, putting one talon on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Anemone looked at Tamarin's concerned blue eyes, and the fire inside her faltered. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and counted to ten.

"Alright," she said, smoothing out the scroll. "Let's just get this over with. And no, I don't take requests. What do I look like, a circus clown?"

"A clown would be less grumpy," said Siamang, settling down with the rest of the RainWings.

Anemone read from _Legend of the Hive _for hours, each RainWing paying rapt attention (except for Coconut, who might have fallen asleep halfway through). Kinkajou interrupted less often than Anemone expected. Eventually, the sky started to dim, and Anemone rolled the scroll shut.

"Alright, story time's over," said Anemone. "Now shoo!"

"That was great, Anemone!" said Kinkajou. "Can we come again next week?"

Anemone glanced at Tamarin, who nodded very slightly. Anemone gave an exaggerated sigh and said, "Fine. But no more inviting other dragonets!"

"Alrighty!" said Kinkajou.

"Who's ready for dinner?" said Boto, flying back toward Jade Mountain Academy. Siamang, Coconut, and Kinkajou followed close behind.

"That was very mature of you," said Tamarin, nudging Anemone gently.

"Whatever," said Anemone. "It's nothing." She hoped Tamarin couldn't tell that she was blushing.

"Do you want to go down to the blackberry patch for dinner?" she Tamarin. "Just the two of us this time. I promise."

"Of course!" said Anemone. "I mean, sure. I guess I have some time to spare."

Tamarin laughed and took to the air. Anemone took a moment to wipe the goofy grin off her face before following her into the sky.


	23. The Chicken Coop

"Sheriff!" cried Fen. "There's a deadly creature scaring my chickens!"

Cattail lifted her head. "What do I look like, an exterminator?"

"Please come help," said Fen, dancing from talon to talon. "I can't get it out of the coop and the chickens refuse to lay out of fright."

Cattail gave a long-suffering sigh and trudged out of the clay building. "Fine. But it better not be a spider like last time."

"Not a spider," said Fen, following Cattail down the dusty path. "It's got claws, sharp claws, and it's all bony and its eyes are beady."

"We'll see," said Cattail.

"Hey, sheriff!" said a MudWing out of a lodge's window nearby. "Did you hear? The war's over!"

"Is that so," said Cattail.

"Yes, I heard those Dragonets of Density gave the SandWings a good talking-to and they all decided to stop fighting. We're having a celebration at the town square."

"That's wonderful news!" said Fen.

"Yes, wonderful," said Cattail, more than a little doubtful. "Would you hurry up, Fen? I don't have all day."

"Yes, of course," said Fen, hurrying down the trail.

A few minutes the dragons arrived at a squat wooden structure in a fenced-off yard, where the rustling of feathers could be heard. "It's in there," she said. "But be careful!"

"Of course," said Cattail. She pulled open the door and trundled inside.

The coop was musty and dark, only lit by the light from the open doorway. Cattail squinted as she ventured further inside. Chickens sat on their nests, huddled against the walls in fear.

Cattail finally found it. It sat at the rear of the coop, nearly invisible in the darkness. It was protected by a hard carapace all over its body. It had two large pincers, raised in a threatening manner. Its eyes were beady and empty of emotion.

"It's a crab," said Cattail.

"A what?" came Fen's voice from outside.

"A crab. It's a type of crustacean that lives in the sea."

"What in Pyrrhia are you talking about?" said Fen.

Cattail sighed, picked up the crab, and walked back outside. It waved its pincers angrily.

"It's not going to hurt you," Cattail said. "I'll go drop it off at the marsh. Why don't you join the others at the celebration?"

"Oh, of course!" said Fen. "Thank you so much for saving my chickens. You're so brave."

"All in a day's work," said Cattail.


	24. Ice Skating

"Careful," said Turtle, using one talon to help Kinkajou balance. "Now point your feet slightly outward, and push forward. Gently."

"Whoa," said Kinkajou, waving her front talons about as she slowly skated forward. "Whoa!"

"I said gently!" Turtle ducked under the flailing RainWing's arms. "If you're going to fall, don't take me down with you!"

"I'm TRYING to go gently!" said Kinkajou. Her talons slid out from under her, and she fell to the ice with a yelp.

Turtle skated to her side. "You okay?"

"Who thought it was a good idea to make skating rinks so slippery?" complained Kinkajou, her scales turning a frustrated orange.

"No one," said Winter, skating by. "That's just what ice is like." He tucked his wings in, leaped into the air, and landed a perfect triple Axel. The sunlight glimmered magnificently off of his scales.

"Woohoo!" said Qibli, who was bundled up under several blankets on the side of the rink. "Ten out of ten!"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Winter, making a figure eight. "That was mediocre at best. I almost fudged the landing."

"Fine, then," Qibli said. "Five out of ten. Not nearly twirly enough. Do you even know how to do a flippity-spin?"

Kinkajou held onto Turtle's shoulders for dear life as he helped her up. "Thanks, Turtle. Wow. This is WAY harder than it looks."

Turtle adjusted her pink and white scarf. "Maybe you should stay on four talons for now," he said. "I mean, unless you like it down there on the floor."

"Are you kidding?" said Kinkajou, pushing herself away from Turtle. "And let Winter have all the fun? WHOA!" Kinkajou started pinwheeling again.

"Winter, stop spinning around in circles already and teach the others how to skate," said Qibli. "We didn't steal you away from Sanctuary just to watch you show off."

"Then why don't you get on the ice?" said Winter, skating to the edge of the rink by Qibli.

"No thanks," said Qibli. "If I get out from under these blankets I will Literally Freeze to Death."

"Let's find out," said Winter. He snatched up Qibli's blankets and sped away, a wide smirk on his face.

"Hey!" said Qibli. "Thief!"

"Come on, Qibli!" said Kinkajou. "It's super fun!"

"Doubtful," said Qibli. "Winter likes it, and he doesn't approve of having fun." He stepped out onto the frozen lake anyway, carefully balancing on his hind talons and tail.

"Ice skating is not for_ fun_," said Winter, leaning forward and performing a spin on one leg. "It is an art. A form of dance with deep roots in IceWing royal traditions."

"Is that so?" said Qibli, slowly gliding up to Winter. He caught one of his talons. "Then could I – whoops!" he said, nearly falling. "Then could I have this dance?" He flashed his most charming grin at the IceWing.

"It would be unfitting of royalty to dance with a commoner," said Winter, skating away.

"Don't be like that, Winter! I think we'd make – whoa!" Qibli's wings shot out for balance as his feet slipped on the ice.

"Keep your tail still to help you balance," said Winter, looking over his shoulder. "And don't lift your feet so far off the ground."

Qibli adjusted his tail and feet and skated in a circle around Winter "As I was saying. I think we'd make a remarkable duo." He brushed Winter seductively with his wing and winked before skating off.

Winter made a huffing snorting noise, then skated to the other side of the rink.

Qibli came to a stop by Turtle and Kinkajou with a careful spin. "What do you think?"

"Wow, Qibli, you're a natural!" said Kinkajou.

"Impressive," said Turtle.

"What can I say? Maybe I should have been born an IceWing."

"Watch this," said Kinkajou. She kicked off with one foot in an imitation of Qibli's spin.

Turtle reached out toward her. "Kinkajou, don't—"

"WHOA!" Kinkajou's talons slipped and she crashed onto the ice again.

"Ouch," said Qibli. "That looks like it hurt."

"You know what," said Kinkajou, her chin resting on the ground. "Maybe I should stick to tree gliding."


	25. Coconut's Quest

"Mash," Coconut said.

Marsh perked up from behind his scroll. "Yeah?"

"I can't decide what to have for dinner." Coconut gave him a forlorn look.

"Why don't you have a papaya, like usual?" said Marsh.

"I'm kind of bored of eating papayas every day. I don't know. I think I want to try something new."

Marsh's eyes opened wide. "Something new?"

"Yeah. A new fruit," said Coconut. "What do you think?"

"Hmm," said Marsh. "I don't know much about fruit. If it's that important to you, I don't want to give you the wrong advice. Maybe we should ask Clay – he knows everything there is to know about prey!"

"Okay!" said Coconut.

* * *

"What do you usually have for dinner?" said Clay, who was lumbering after a loose pheasant in the prey center.

"Well, usually I eat a papaya," said Coconut. "But I'm kind of bored of papayas. What fruit do you think I should eat?"

"To be honest, I haven't tried a lot of fruit before," said Clay. "I guess I had some bananas in the Rainforest Kingdom that were pretty good. And a weird rubbery red thing that made my mouth all sticky." He leaped forward and caught the pheasant between his talons. "Got ya!"

"Do we have any bananas in the prey center?" said Marsh.

"No, we're out for today," said Clay.

"Oh." Coconut wilted and his frills turned a gloomy dark blue.

"Aw, don't be sad," said Clay, reaching out to console Coconut. "Maybe we could ask another RainWing for advice."

The pheasant broke out of Clay's gasp with a squawk and flew across the chamber. Clay sighed. "I'll go with you as soon as I get this dumb bird under control."

* * *

"Oh, wow, where do I start!" said Kinkajou, leaning over her desk. "There's jackfruit, and grapefruit, and passionfruit, and don't forget the purple mangosteen! That's my favorite_._ Oh, except for pomegranates. They're both my favorite! Then there's acai, rumberry, camu camu, tangerine, and avocado. Is avocado is a fruit? It doesn't taste fruity at all, does it?"

"Wow," said Clay. "I didn't think there were that many types of fruit in the whole world."

Coconut had a slack-jawed look on his face. "So many choices…"

"It's okay, Coconut," said Marsh, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sure one of those fruits is right for you."

"Excuse me," said Webs. "I am _trying_ to give a lecture on the foundation of the IceWing court."

"Sorry!" said Clay with a sheepish smile.

Kinkajou whispered to Coconut, "As soon as I get out of class, I know the PERFECT dragon to help you out. Just you wait."

* * *

"You want me to what?" snarled Flame from the corner of his sleeping cave.

"I _know _you're an amazing cook, Mr. Grumpy-Scales," said Kinkajou. "I tried that fruit cake you made last week for cooking class. Stop brooding for a moment and give Coconut some advice."

"He likes papaya," chimed in Marsh, "but he's bored of it."

"You're all idiots," said Flame. "Leave me alone." He turned away from the other dragons and buried his head in his pillow. Marsh and Clay exchanged glances. Coconut looked crestfallen.

"Although I would recommend a casaba melon or a guava," muttered Flame, "especially with a spritz of lime. Now get out of my room!"

Coconut perked up. "Thanks, Flame!"

"I don't know how to recognize either of those," whispered Kinkajou.

"Yeah, we might need some help picking them out," agreed Clay, with a knowing smile.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds. Then Flame gave an exaggerated sighed. "Fine. I'll help." He stood up and stormed out of the room. "Who doesn't know how to recognize a moons-forsaken guava in this day and age?"

* * *

Marsh, Clay, Kinkajou, and Flame all gathered in the prey center, their eyes trained on Coconut. Before him sat two options: a round, yellow casaba melon, and a small pile of green guavas. Many seconds had passed in waiting for a decision.

"Well?" prompted Clay. "Have you decided which one do you want to eat?"

Coconut gazed at the fruit with a thoughtful expression. "I think..."

"Yes?" said Kinkajou.

"I think..."

"Go ahead," encouraged Marsh.

"I think I changed my mind. I'd rather have a papaya."

All four dragons groaned in unison. Flame covered his face with his talons. Kinkajou fell over dramatically.

"But thanks for helping me out," said Coconut. He took a papaya from a nearby barrel and smiled at the other dragons. "I didn't realize my dinner was so important to you."

"Any time," said Marsh, weakly.


	26. Fig Tarts

Flame peered into his bag as he walked with Viper through the busy SkyWing market.

"Fettuccini, check," said Flame. "Garlic, check. Artichoke hearts, check. I think I have everything I wanted."

"Great," said Viper, munching on a fried lizard.

"Moons, I haven't gotten to cook anything in ages. This was the best idea _ever_."

"I know, right?" said Viper. "I couldn't stand that boring Talons of Peace camp for another second."

"We're going to be in so much trouble when we get back."

"I know." Viper grinned, then tossed the rest of the lizard into her mouth. She wiped her talons on the fabric of her bag.

"Where'd you get all this gold, anyway?" said Flame.

"Don't worry about it."

A familiar scent drifted through the air, and Flame stopped in his tracks. The market was thick with the scent of prey, bread, and spices, but _that _smell he would have recognized anywhere.

"No way," he said. "Fig tarts!"

"Fig whats?" said Viper.

Flame sniffed the air and pushed through the crowd, eliciting a few angry complaints. "Fig and goat cheese pastries," he said. "My mother used to make them on holidays. I _have_ to get some."

He skidded to a halt near a delicious-smelling tent full of baked goods. He watched, mouth watering, as a bag of tarts exchanged talons between the burly shopkeeper and an eager SkyWing.

"Uh, sorry, bud," said Viper, catching up to him. "We spent the rest of the money on fried lizards."

"Owl turds," cursed Flame. "I told not to get so many!"

"Hey," said Viper, putting a talon on Flame's shoulder. "Don't sweat it. I have an idea."

* * *

"Hello," said Flame, approaching the open side of the tent. "How much for a bag of fig tarts?"

The shopkeeper looked down at him with an appraising look. "Ten silver."

"Ten?" said Flame. "What do you take me for, an idiot? I'll give you five."

"Eight," said the shopkeeper. "Best tarts in town, kid. It's worth your money."

Flame rolled his eyes. "Not impressed. Five or no deal."

"Alright, alright," said the shopkeeper. "Six pieces. Just for you."

At that moment, the supports of the tent gave out, and its rough fabric came crashing down on top of the shop. Viper's sandy-white scales disappeared into a nearby alley. As the shopkeeper cursed and struggled, Flame grabbed a talonful of fig tarts, shoved them into his bag, and leaped into the air. "Eat dirt, hippo face!" he yelled, gleefully.

"Get back here!" cried the shopkeeper, emerging from under the fabric. "Help! The red dragonet! He's stealing my pastries!"

Flame followed the shopkeeper's gaze and noticed, for the first time, the squad of armored SkyWing guards patrolling the market. With a gulp, he dove back into the crowd and banked sharply around a corner.

"Flame!" Viper motioned furiously from a narrow alleyway and dove into an open crate. Flame jumped in as well, landing with a thud.

"Ow! Watch it, that's my tail!"

"Maybe if your tail wasn't so fat I wouldn't have landed on it!" snapped Flame, shutting the box above them.

The crate was dark and cramped, and he felt his claws getting tangled in a coil of rope. He held his breath as the sound of armored dragons passed by the alleyway. Then the sound receded.

"_Eat dirt, hippo face_?" whispered Viper, putting her snout inches from Flame's. "What happened to a quiet getaway?"

"Did you see that shopkeeper?" said Flame. "He was probably too big to lift off the ground, let alone chase me. Besides, I didn't know there were guards."

"There are GUARDS?" hissed Viper. "Royal guards? You've heard what Queen Scarlet does to dragons that break the law, right?"

"Whatever," said Flame, nervously coiling his tail around himself. "We'll just wait for a while and then waltz out of here. No big deal."

"Oh, yeah, a SandWing and a bright red SkyWing with a bulging bag," said Viper. "Real inconspicuous."

Flame gulped. "We've really opened up a can of worms now."

"Flame, you are a walking, talking moonsblasted can of worms."

"You're a half-witted desert rat with lizard droppings for brains."

"You're an ugly red toadstool who was left by his mother for a cherry tomato."

Flame's claws dug into the rope. "Take that back," he snarled.

"Nope."

"Take it back!" said Flame.

"Shh!" Viper wrapped her talons around Flame's snout, and they both sat in silence as the sound of clinking armor passed by.

"Get your talons off me!" said Flame, freeing his snout. "We have to do something. They're going to check in here eventually."

"Okay," Viper said. "On the count of three, we make a run for it. I go left, you go right. We can meet up in the forest. Sound good?"

"Fine," said Flame.

Viper took a deep breath. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"One... two... three!"

Flame burst out of the crate and flew through the market, pumping his wings as fast as they would go. A nearby guard shouted and lifted off in pursuit. Flame risked a glance over his shoulder. The guard's giant wings would give her the advantage in speed, but Flame could take sharper turns through the town. He weaved through the buildings, trying to break her line of sight. If he could just get out of town, then he could hide among the trees.

"Got you," said the guard, grabbing his leg and sending him crashing to the ground. He roared and clawed at the guard's arm, but he could do nothing against her thick scales.

"You're just a dragonet," said the guard in surprise. "Poor thing."

"Let go of me!" snarled Flame.

"No can do," said the SkyWing. "Stop struggling. It'll make it easier on you."

"I'm not a Sky Kingdom citizen," said Flame, breathing hard. "I'm from the Talons of Peace. They'll come looking for me. It's not worth the trouble."

"Queen Scarlet will be the judge of that," said the guard. "Would you stop struggling already?"

Then she yowled as Viper took a bite out of her tail. Flame wriggled out of the guard's talons and shot out of the town, followed closely by Viper.

"You little brats!" yelled the guard. She leaped into the air to follow, but immediately crashed back onto the ground, her back leg tied to a nearby pole.

Breathing hard, Flame flew with Viper through the forested mountainside until the SkyWing town was far out of sight. Then he let out a triumphant cry.

"Woohoo! We made it!"

"No thanks to _you_," said Viper pointedly.

Flame gave her a sideways look. "Well, we're alive, aren't we?"

"Yes, because _someone _came back to save your life."

Flame bit his lip. "Thanks," he muttered. "I guess you're not so bad, for a SandWing."

"That's more like it," said Viper. She circled to the ground and landed on a patch of fallen needles. "You can make it up to me by letting me try one of those fig things."

"You already had your dumb fried lizards!" protested Flame, landing next to her.

"Fork it over," said Viper, holding out a talon.

Flame rolled his eyes and opened his bag, revealing six delicious fig tarts: warm, flaky, and a little squashed. He handed one to Viper and took another one for himself. He gave it an eager sniff, then took a big bite.

He closed his eyes as the sweet and salty flavor filled his mouth. The taste always reminded him of his fourth hatching day. His mother, Avalanche, had taken him and his friends to the beach, where they'd collected a dozen pearlescent shells and reenacted famous battles in the sand. After dinner, Avalanche had surprised him with warm, homemade fig tarts, which he thought were the most delicious thing he'd ever eaten. Then, exhausted, he'd curled up under his mother's wing and fell asleep.

"This is pretty good," said Viper with her mouth full.

"Tell me about it," said Flame.


	27. The Siren

"Do you hear that?" said Turtle, his quill pausing in midair.

"Hear what?" said Kinkajou, who was resting her head on top of her half-finished homework.

Turtle furrowed his brow, trying to catch the distant sound again. "It sounded like... singing."

"Maybe it's coming from the art cave," said Kinkajou, shoving her scroll away from her. "We have to check it out!"

"I think you should probably focus on your homework," said Turtle, but Kinkajou was gone before he finished the sentence. He sighed and rolled up his scroll.

Kinkajou stuck her head back inside. "Uh, which direction did it come from, again?"

"I think it was in this way," said Turtle, walking out of the cave and down the hallway.

"Do you think it's Peregrine?" Kinkajou said. "I heard he has a great singing voice. Or is it Siamang? Is it Mightyclaws?"

"I think it was a female dragon," said Turtle.

"Oh my gosh!" said Kinkajou. "Do you think it's Hoarfrost? NO! Ostrich! Tell me it's Ostrich."

"I bet it's Snail," Turtle said. "She's always in the music cave doing something or the other."

"I didn't know SeaWings sang," said Kinkajou. "I mean, you all live UNDERWATER."

"We don't sing often," said Turtle. "We do a lot of dancing. Not me, though. My brothers used to tell me I have four left talons."

"Oh, wow," said Kinkajou. "We have SO many dances in the rainforest! I want to learn all of them one day!"

"Hold on," said Turtle. "I'm hearing it again."

Both dragons stopped by the Academy's main entrance. The distant voice blew through the cave again, high and pure.

_Romance is a game for fools, I used to say_

_A game I thought I'd never play_

_Romance is a game for fools, I said and grinned_

_Then you passed by and here am I, throwing caution to the wind~_

"Wow, I hear it too," said Kinkajou. "Whoever it is has a beautiful voice!"

"She must be outside," said Turtle, peering through the exit.

Kinkajou gasped. "Wait, wait, wait. I know. It's a SIREN!"

"A siren?" said Turtle, doubtfully. "You mean a half-fish half-dragon with a beautiful voice that lures SeaWings to their death?"

"YES!" said Kinkajou. "We were about to walk right into its trap, Turtle!"

"I guess we _are_ pretty close to the ocean," said Turtle, rubbing the wattles on his chin.

"We've got to check it out," whispered Kinkajou. "We'll scare it away before it has the chance to harm anybody."

"Uh, what happened to not walking into its trap?"

"We're not going to _walk into its trap_. We're going to sneak up on it. Duh. You're an animus, and I have camouflage. That siren won't know what hit it!"

"Alright," said Turtle. "Sure. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Let's go!" said Kinkajou, leaping out into the air.

It was a bright, clear afternoon in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. The sound of the singing grew louder and louder as the dragonets made their way south. They soon reached the foothills, where the music drifted out from within the trees.

_Fools rush in where angels fear to tread_

_And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head_

_Though I see the danger there_

_If there's a chance for me, then I don't caaaare~_

"It's on land," said Turtle.

"That means it's out of its element," hissed Kinkajou. "This is the perfect time to attack."

"Make sure to say something if you feel like you're being entranced and lured to your death," said Turtle.

"Will do," said Kinkajou.

The dragonets landed quietly in the forest. Kinkajou turned a leafy-green color, camouflaging almost perfectly into the forest. She started creeping closer to the source of the music.

"There's a clearing up ahead," whispered Turtle. "I bet it's in there."

"I'll jump out first, as a distraction," said Kinkajou. "You're bigger than me, so you can tackle it. Then we'll chase it until it goes back into the ocean. Got it?"

"Wait," said Turtle. "Back up one moment. Can we discuss the part where I tackle a dangerous fish monster?"

_Fools rush in where wise dragons never go_

_But wise dragons never fall in love, so how are they to know?_

_When we met, I felt my life begin_

_So open up your heart and let this fool rush in~_

"Hold on," said Kinkajou. "I think I recognize that voice."

"So no tackling, right?" said Turtle.

"Shh!" said Kinkajou.

She crossed the rest of the distance and poked her head around a large tree.

_So open up your heart and let this fool rush in_

_Yes, open up your heart and let this fool rush in~!_

"TAMARIN!" yelled Kinkajou, leaping through the trees. "Oh my gosh! I didn't know you could sing! Why didn't you tell me?"

Tamarin turned her head toward Kinkajou. The small blue RainWing was standing in a clearing full of flowers, yellow and pink and white, collecting them in a basket.

"Oh, Kinkajou," she said. "I didn't realize anyone was listening. What brings you to the forest?"

"We heard you singing and we HAD to know who it was! I TOTALLY thought you were a Siren luring SeaWings to their death, or something. Isn't that crazy?!"

"Nope! Just me!"

"Tamarin?" said Turtle, emerging from the trees. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Oh, just collecting some flowers," said Tamarin, cheerfully. "Speaking of which." She held up the basket toward Turtle. "Do you think your sister will like these?"

Kinkajou gasped and covered her mouth with her talons, her scales turning bright pink. "You're gathering flowers for Anemone?"

"I think she'll love them," said Turtle with a smile.


	28. Portrait

Mightyclaws didn't have to be a mind reader to hear the whispering around him.

_"I've never seen a NightWing in person before!"_

_"Is it safe for a NightWing to just be walking around like that?"_

_"He'd better stay away from my dragonets."_

"This way," said the SkyWing guard, ushering him down a hallway decorated with veins of gold. Mightyclaws nodded stoically and marched ahead.

On the wall to the left hung a series of large picture frames, each covered by canvases. One of the coverings had fallen, revealing Ex-Queen Scarlet's knowing smile. The wall to the right was full of large, arched windows, which revealed the great SkyWing arena that Mightyclaws had heard about in stories. The soaring pillars that once held prisoners were now empty, and weeds were gradually overtaking the sandy ground. In the distance, a swarm of SkyWings worked on a half-finished building of stone and jewels, lifting heavy stone bricks over a wooden skeleton. Queen Ruby's new healing center.

They emerged into a less-crowded area of the palace. A group of SkyWings gave him suspicious looks, then hurried by.

"Excuse me," said Mightclaws to the guard.

She looked at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Why are all the SkyWings acting... like that?"

The guard grunted. "Last time we saw a NightWing they burned an outpost full of SkyWings alive."

Mightyclaws gulped. "Oh."

They passed through a giant, multi-tiered chamber to a bejeweled door with an armored SkyWing on either side. The SkyWings saluted and silently opened the door.

"The queen will see you now," said the guard. Mightyclaws hesitated, meeting the guard's eyes. She gave him an encouraging nod. He took a deep breath, then stepped inside.

Immediate, he was dazzled by the sunlight, which came in through an open wall and reflected off the gilded decorations. In the center of the chamber, a dark red SkyWing with a golden crown sat atop a tall, cloud-shaped throne.

"Mightyclaws," she said.

"Queen Ruby," he said. "Your Majesty." He bowed with his head touching the floor, like the SkyWings had shown him just the day before.

The queen smiled at him. "How are you feeling, Mightyclaws?"

Mightyclaws wasn't sure how to respond. "Um, a little overwhelmed," he said, honestly.

"Princess Sunny has told me very good things about you."

"She doesn't like being called Princess," said Mightyclaws. Then he snapped his jaw shut, afraid to have talked back to a queen.

"Very well," said Queen Ruby, looking amused. "_Sunny_ has told me a lot about you. How do you like Jade Mountain Academy?"

"It's, um, it's okay," he said. "They feed us very well." Sometimes he missed living with his mother and sister, but he didn't think Queen Ruby needed to know that.

"Have they taught you much about art?"

"Definitely," said Mightyclaws. "Our art teacher – well, I'm sure you know – she's one of the Sky Kingdom's best painters. She's a little grumpy sometimes. But she's very good at painting."

"Ah, yes," said Queen Ruby. "Brimstone. Glad to see she hasn't lost her touch."

"Your Majesty," said Mightyclaws, tentatively. "There's actually something I wanted to ask you."

"Of course."

"Why didn't you have Brimstone paint your portrait? Instead of me?"

Queen Ruby smiled once more. Mightyclaws was surprised by how often she did that. Between Princess Greatness and Queen Glory, he'd probably seen one or two royal smiles his entire life.

"I like to encourage young talent," the queen said. "And it would serve the SkyWings well to learn that the NightWings are not all... belligerents."

Mightyclaws wondered if she was skirting around the word _murderers._ "I see," he murmured.

"Why don't we get started while the sun is still high?" said Queen Ruby. "The guards have brought the supplies you requested."

She gestured to a pile of art supplies by the wall: parchment and charcoal, an easel, several canvases, a pot full of brushes, and a set of oil paints that Brimstone had helped Mightyclaws prepare. Dark red and white for her scales, bright red for the rubies she wore, black for her horns, spikes, and talons.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Mightyclaws, dragging a table into position. "I'll start with a few sketches. Then I'll see if there's time to start on the painting as well."

"Should I come down to the floor?" said Queen Ruby.

"Yes, please."

Soon the Queen was settled in a proper pose, and Mightyclaws started transferring her likeness onto paper. The charcoal was shaky in his talons. He'd never felt more self-conscious while drawing. What if she didn't like the final result? What if he completely butchered it? A poor representative he'd be for the NightWings. Could the queen have him executed for messing up the painting? Probably not. Right?

As time wore on, the parchment felt more and more familiar. It wasn't that much different from drawing in the art cave, really. And Queen Ruby didn't look at all intimidating or queenly, sitting there silently with a patient expression.

"How's this?" said Mightyclaws, showing the queen his first sketch.

"That looks lovely," she said.

The news was all over the Sky Kingdom before long. The next day, when Mightyclaws was being escorted from his guest chamber to the queen's room, the SkyWings whispered in a different tone of voice. They muttered to each other and stole curious glances at him. Mightyclaws held his head up high. After all, not every dragon had the privilege of painting Ruby's first portrait as queen of the SkyWings.


	29. Tree Gliding

"Come oooooon," groaned Jambu. "I've been asking you to go tree gliding for weeks!"

"I'm sorry, Jambu," said Glory, squinting at the scroll in front of her. "I have to oversee the construction of the new pavilion today. There's no way around it."

"I could do that," said Deathbringer.

"Deathbringer," said Glory, in a warning tone of voice.

Deathbringer smirked. "No, really. I studied architecture on the NightWing island. I dare say I'm a more qualified construction worker than you.

"Come on!" said Jambu, bright yellow flashing through his ruff. He took Glory's arms and pulled her to the door.

Glory hesitated. "Okay, fine. But only for you, Jambu."

"Woohoo!" cried the bright pink dragon, taking off into the canopy.

* * *

"You're getting pretty good!" said Jambu as Glory swung past with her tail. "Want to race?"

Glory landed with a thump on the platform beside her brother. "Isn't that a bit undignified for a queen?" she said. "Racing through the treetops like a dragonet?"

"You ARE a dragonet," said Jambu.

Glory had to admit, it was nice to be out in the treetops, not thinking about logistics and RainWings and NightWings for once. "I suppose one little race can't hurt," she said with a smile.

"First one to the tall tree over there," said Jambu.

"You're on."

And the two RainWings were off, swinging from branch to branch. Jambu pulled ahead, his sleek pink body darting through the trees. Glory squinted in concentration as she gave chase.

Then her tail slipped off of a branch. She crashed into a hammock with a yelp, disturbing a sleeping RainWing, and fell through the shrubbery.

"Glory!" said Jambu, flying back. "Are you okay?" He landed next to the groggy RainWing and peered into the undergrowth.

"Gotcha!" said Glory, popping out of the greenery far ahead. She laughed, in a way she hadn't laughed for a long time, as she sped toward the tall tree.

"Hey!" said Jambu indignantly. He couldn't hold back his laughter as he followed his sister.


	30. PPS: 1 A Vital Message

Pronghorn had been ecstatic when he was chosen to bear the vital message to Queen Thorn. Sunny said the letter was too important to send through the new SandWing postal system, which was still being developed and not yet reliable. Neither did she want to ask the Talons of Peace, who had their own motives when it came to intertribal affairs. Instead, she thought it would be appropriate to send the message through students of Jade Mountain Academy.

"The Academy is a symbol of intertribal cooperation in Pyrrhia," Sunny had said. "And that makes _you_ representatives for peace."

Pronghorn was a little less enthusiastic now that stinging sand was blowing into his face. But he was almost at Queen Thorn's palace, and there was no way he giving up now. He closed his inner eyelids, glanced down to make sure his messenger bag was still secured, then flew onward.

_It's just thirty minutes to the palace, if I remember the map correctly. Come on Pronghorn! You can do this!_

The winds started to pick up, making it harder and harder for Pronghorn to see. The wind tugged at his stout wings and threatened to upset his balance. He couldn't help but remember his grandmother's stern lectures about the dangers of flying in sandstorms.

_Okay, maybe it would be best to go on talon for a little bit._

Pronghorn spotted a small cluster of adobe buildings in the distance and diverted his path toward it. He had almost reached the village when a sharp gust of wind caught his wings and threw him back into the air. Pronghorn turned head over heels, clasped his wings shut, and landed headfirst in the middle of the village.

"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his head.

"Hey, kid!" said a SandWing marching toward a nearby building. She shielded her face with one talon. "Get inside!"

Pronghorn patted his abdomen and realized, with a rising sense of dread, that the storm had carried his bag away.

"The letter!" he cried. "I'll be right back!" He turned and ran in the direction of the wind.

"Where are you going?" cried the SandWing, but her voice was eaten up by the storm. Pronghorn searched the sand-drowned village with wild eyes. He saw the vague forms of a well, a palm tree, and a domed building. But there was no bag, and no vital message.

The wind continued to grow. If he didn't find shelter soon, he'd be carried away by the storm, whether his wings were open or not. But he couldn't imagine coming so far, just to lose the letter. The letter that Sunny had trusted only _him_ to carry. He had to find it!

Just before Pronghorn was about to give up, he saw the straps of his bag flailing against a nearby wall. His eyes lit up. It was too high to grab from the ground, but he could reach it with just a few flaps of his wings. He prepared to take flight.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," yelled the female SandWing, appearing out of the storm to seize Pronghorn's arm. "Don't even think about it."

"But my bag!" cried Pronghorn. "I have a letter for Queen Thorn! It's–"

"Whatever you had in that bag, it's not as important as your life! Come on!"

Pronghorn reluctantly let the SandWing pull him into the nearest building, where sand was already piling up on the floor. She put her entire weight on the door, straining to close it against the wind. Pronghorn hurried to her side and pushed as well. There was a _click _as the door latched, and finally, the air became still. Pronghorn slumped to the ground as the storm howled angrily outside.

"Fourth moons and fireballs, don't you dragonets have any common sense?" said the SandWing. With a plume of fire, she lit a torch hanging on the wall. "That storm could have picked you up and carried you all the way to the Ice Kingdom!"

Pronghorn took a good look at his savior for the first time. The SandWing was small and wiry, with pale, speckled scales. Hanging from her neck was a black gemstone set in a gold frame shaped like dragons' wings.

_Just like the Eye of Onyx..._

"Queen Thorn?" cried Pronghorn in disbelief.

"That's me," said the SandWing.

"Your Majesty!" Pronghorn fell into a deep bow. "I didn't realize – I didn't recognize – I'm so sorry!"

"Don't sweat it," said Queen Thorn. "We're both alive, aren't we?" She sat down on the floor with a deep breath. "Snake spit, my guards are going to kill me for going off alone in a sandstorm."

Pronghorn slowly sat up, searching for words. "Um, Your Majesty... I was sent by Sunny to deliver a vital message to you."

"A vital message? That sounds serious."

"Yes, it is," said Pronghorn. "But..."

Oh, how he wished he had the letter on talon. How could he admit failure now, with Queen Thorn right in front of him? He could almost envision the message, which he'd read over and over when he couldn't sleep. In fact, he could almost envision it word for word...

He took a deep breath, and the words started pouring out.

_"Dear Queen Thorn. In the aftermath of war, we are forced to confront the atrocities of the past two decades, those that we have suffered and those we have committed. All seven tribes share the responsibility for this wrongdoing. There is a need more than ever for Pyrrhia's governing bodies to cooperate, to ensure that conflict of this magnitude can never happen again. Thus, the staff of Jade Mountain Academy would like to invite you, Queen Thorn, and your royal entourage, to the Pyrrhian Peace Summit."_

"Wow," said Queen Thorn. "You had that memorized?"

"That was just the first paragraph," said Pronghorn, meekly.

"Well, we have plenty of time. This moonsblasted storm isn't going anywhere soon." Queen Thorn laughed. "What's your name?"

"Pronghorn, your majesty."

"Pronghorn, Pronghorn... Oh, you're that dragonet who wouldn't stop sending me letters asking to go to JMA!"

"Oh, yes, that was me," said Pronghorn, averting his eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't be," said Queen Thorn. "I like it. I admire your enthusiasm."

Pronghorn smiled faintly.

"So, Pronghorn," said Queen Thorn. "You've piqued my curiosity. Why don't you tell me more about this... Pyrrhian Peace Summit?"

* * *

Author's Note

The full title of this arc is The Pyrrhian Peace Summit. Poopy site won't let me fit the whole name ):


	31. PPS: 2 The Bean Bag Conference

"Moons, I can't believe we have to seat seven queens in one place!" said Mindreader, hovering above the amphitheater.

"Six queens," said Pronghorn. He was moving a large, circular table through the air with the help of Peregrine and Alba. "There's no NightWing queen anymore, remember?"

"Queen Glory counts as two," protested Mindreader.

"Careful, careful." Snail flew backwards in front of the others, guiding them to the center of the stage. "Set it down gently."

"And the audience is even worse," continued Mindreader. She squinted, trying to visualize where the dragons would be seated. "The audience is divided into three equal sections. But we'll have seven entourages, plus all the students at Jade Mountain Academy. That just doesn't add up!"

"I'm sure we'll manage," said Snail. "Peregrine! I said gently!"

"I got it, dude," said Peregrine. "If you're so worried, why don't you grab a side and help?"

"Someone needs to supervise."

The Copper Winglet was gathered at the Sky Amphitheater, deep within a pine forest in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. It had a white stone stage and a tiered audience arranged in a semicircle, over which plants and vines were starting to grow. Pillars around the stage held up a crumbling stone ceiling. It was a relic from a time when SkyWing art and theater flourished.

Mindreader surveyed the rest of her winglet. Alba, Peregrine, and Pronghorn were still struggling with the conference table onstage, while Snail barked instructions. In the audience, Marsh was laboriously plucking weeds from the cracks in the stone. Coconut trailed behind him with a broom, though he wasn't so much sweeping the dirt as he was politely suggesting that it move.

"I know," said Coconut. "What if we get seven bean bags, and put them in a circle?"

"Six," corrected Pronghorn.

"We can't put the queens in bean bags!" cried Mindreader.

"Why not?" said Coconut. "They're super comfortable. And the queens should be the most comfortable out of anyone."

Mindreader rolled her eyes. "Thank about it. If the queens were so concerned about being comfortable, they wouldn't sit on thrones made of rock all the time. Duh."

Coconut shrugged. "I guess so."

Marsh tossed a big clump of weeds into a burlap bag and wiped his brow. "Phew, that's another row done." He reached for the broom. "Coconut, let me help you with sweeping."

Coconut jerked the broom away. "I got it," he muttered, then continued sweeping past his stunned clawmate.

Mindreader tilted her head. What was that all about?

"Mindreader, can you do something useful and go ask Tsunami where the tapestries are?" said Snail from onstage.

The NightWing flapped into the air. "Okay, tapestries, coming right up!"

"Thank you. The rest of you, help me set up the lamps."

"Ugh, who made you the boss?" said Pronghorn. "Come on, Peregrine. It's time for a dinner break." Peregrine shrugged at Snail and followed his clawmate.

Mindreader left her bickering winglet behind and headed to Jade Mountain Academy, which was only a few minutes away. Now that every queen had sent a letter of acceptance, the entire school was busy preparing for the Pyrrhian Peace Summit. The Silver Winglet had been assigned to cleaning duty. The Jade Winglet was in charge of decorations. And the Copper Winglet was at the Sky Amphitheater, setting up for a groundbreaking intertribal conference.

Opinions on the topic were divided. Pronghorn thought the tribes should avoid alliances completely, to prevent trouble from escalating. On the other talon, Snail thought the tribes should cooperate, so that they could hold certain tribes accountable for what they did during the war. On the third talon, Peregrine thought that when Snail said "certain tribes" she meant Skywings, and they often got into long, heated arguments about it.

Mindreader, on the last talon, was just plain excited. Whatever happened at the Pyrrhian Peace Summit, sparks were sure to fly, and she'd be there to see all of it. It was the greatest drama of all time!

She landed in Jade Mountain Academy's deserted antechamber. She poked her head into the hallway holding the staff's quarters, not sure if she was allowed to go in. No harm in knocking, right?

Tsunami's voice floated through the wall. _"You know what, Sunny, I don't think this was a good idea in the first place. We barely avoided a Pyrrhia-wide disaster earlier this year, and only by endangering several of our students. We shouldn't be putting the NightWings and IceWings together this soon."_

_"But they need to talk while they still remember the spell that Turtle cast," _responded Sunny. _"There's no use in pushing that back." _

Mindreader perked up her ears. She never said no to an eavesdropping opportunity!

"_Listen, I know we 'brought peace to Pyrrhia' or whatever the first time. But that doesn't mean we can do it again. We got lucky. If Blaze didn't bring those vipers... If Holly didn't find the Eye of Onyx..."_

_"We can do it again." _Sunny's voice was adamant. "_Dragons have more faith in us than ever, and that gives us power."_

_"But what if violence breaks out? What if an IceWing with a grudge decides to take it out on Glory while she's vulnerable? What use is faith going to be, then?"_

"Is someone there?" said someone from behind Mindreader. She spun around, heart pounding.

"Oh, Starflight!" she said. "It's me, Mindreader. I'm just looking for Tsunami. Hope I'm not interrupting anything, haha."

"Ah. I think she's in her room." Starflight showed Mindreader a rolled-up scroll. "I'm just bringing the others the schedule I drafted."

Sunny's voice drifted out again. _I don't understand where this is coming from. Didn't we already agree that this is the right thing to do?"_

_"Reluctantly, yes."_ Tsunami gave an aggravated sigh. _"Sunny, have you noticed anything strange about Starflight lately?"_

Mindreader gave Starflight an awkward look. The other NightWing was listening with a furrowed brow.

_"Starflight? No, I haven't had the chance to sit down with him recently..."_

_"He broke up with Fatespeaker. He's SUPER sad right now. And you're so engrossed in preparations that you didn't even notice!"_

_"Oh no, really? By all the moons, I can't believe... oh, I feel like such a horrible friend."_

Tsunami sighed again. _"I'm sorry. I can never stay mad at you. But we NEED to start thinking more realistically. I mean..." _Her voice got quieter._ "How are we going to bring peace to Pyrrhia if we can't even get along with each other?"_

The door opened suddenly, making both NightWings jump. Tsunami blinked at the two of them. "Starflight? Mindreader? What are you...?"

"Hi Tsunami, I just wanted to know where the tapestries are for the amphitheater," said Mindreader very quickly. Maybe if she talked fast, Tsunami wouldn't have time to be suspicious. "Hope you're doing well!"

"The tapestries? They're in the storage by the art cave."

"Awesome, okay, thanks, bye!" Mindreader sped out of the hallway, leaving Tsunami and Starflight in awkward silence.

Mindreader's mind was racing with the new gossip she had overheard. The dragonets of destiny were fighting! Starflight and Fatespeaker had broken up! And the NightWings and IceWings...

Well, that part wasn't so fun. The two tribes had tried to wipe each other out just a few months ago, driven by Darkstalker's hatred. They probably wouldn't be so keen to just hug it out. And what about the SeaWings, who had gone into hiding after the SkyWing bombs? What about the RainWings and NightWings, who were still at each other's throats?

By the time Mindreader finally tracked down Clay to unlock the storage boxes for her, the sun was starting to set, and a ball of anxiety was gathering in her gut. Maybe this Pyrrhian Peace Summit wouldn't be all fun and games after all.

She gathered up a tapestry emblazoned with SeaWing colors in her talons – they were too heavy to carry more than one at a time – and wearily set off toward the amphitheater.

When she arrived, six bean bags were arranged on the stage, with the rest of the Copper Winglet lounging on them.

Snail looked up. "_There _you are. Finally. Peregrine, do you want to help put up the tapestries?"

"In a moment, dude." Peregrine lay on his back with his wings splayed out and his eyes closed. "This beanbag is _sooooo_ comfortable."

"Hey Mindreader," said Coconut. "We finished setting up the stage!"

Mindreader laughed. "Yeah, I see that."


	32. PPS: 3 Maker of Peace

Glory scribbled out the last paragraph she had written, flopped her head onto the desk, and let out a frustrated sigh. Orange shimmered across her scales. There was just no polite way to ask an IceWing queen if she still wanted to murder all of your subjects.

"Queen Glory? Is this a bad time?"

Glory abruptly picked up her head and turned her scales a neutral purple. "Trueflier. Not at all. Come in."

Trueflier walked through the hut's door, toting a bag of scrolls. "The last of the applications came in. There are many, many NightWings who want to attend the summit."

"And RainWings?"

Truflier grimaced. "Er, you still have Jambu, Your Majesty."

"Wonderful," said Glory. "But, if we're going to be honest, not surprising. How are the background checks going?"

Trueflier scratched his head. "It's been... difficult, to say the least. As you specified, I am trying to pick out dragons who did not follow Darkstalker to the Lost City of Night. However, many of those dragons are your friends and colleagues. It will be hard to avoid being accused of favoritism by the council."

"Forget about the politics, Trueflier," said Glory, her voice a little sharper than usual. "All I'm asking for is an entourage that won't get anyone killed while we're at the summit."

"My apologies if this is out of turn, Queen Glory," said Trueflier, "but I think if any tribe is likely to be an instigator of conflict, it is the IceWings. The NightWings were under the effects of Darkstalker's enchantments during the Battle of Jade Mountain, and cannot be held accountable for their actions. The _IceWings_... they acted of their own accord."

Glory sighed. "I'm not having this argument right now. We can't afford to take any chances, and that's my final word. I trust you to choose my entourage to my exact specifications."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Trueflier, frostily. He dropped the bag of scrolls on Glory's desk. "By the way, one of your applicants requested a personal interview."

Glory quirked a brow. "Last time I checked, we weren't holding interviews."

"She was quite insistent." Trueflier exited the hut, spread his wings, and lifted off into the forest. Glory flexed her claws in frustration.

_He still doesn't trust me. And I know it's because I'm a RainWing, and he's a NightWing._

A dark green NightWing poked her head into the room. "Queen Glory?"

"Hope!" Glory pushed aside the bag of scrolls, a pleased yellow spreading down her tail. "How are you doing?"

"I'm well, as always."

"And how is Peacemaker?"

Hope looked down and urged a young dragonet through the hut's door. "Well, Peacemaker? Queen Glory wants to know how you're doing."

Peacemaker peered up at Glory with wide eyes. "Good," he said, meekly.

"Am I really that scary?" said Glory, amused.

Hope smiled and rubbed Peacemaker's head. "You know what's funny? I signed him up for a tree gliding class a week ago, and this is the first time he's sat still since. Maybe I should get you to watch him when I'm not around."

"Nuh-uh," said Peacemaker, pouting. "I don't need no watching!"

"Alright," said Hope. "We'll pass on royal babysitting for now."

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" asked Glory.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I want to attend the peace summit."

For a moment, Glory was speechless. Hope was the last dragon she had ever expected to say those words. Not the dragon who had been imprisoned in the IceWing caves for the last two thousand years.

"Are you sure?" she finally said.

"Eclipse has agreed to watch Peacemaker for a few days," said Hope. "And I believe I meet all the criteria that Trueflier announced at the last forum."

Glory thought for a moment, then turned to the empty space behind her. "Banana, could we have a moment alone? And why don't you watch Peacemaker as well." Glory glanced at Hope, who nodded in approval.

Banana appeared out of thin air. "Got it."

"Go play with Banana, now," said Hope. "Mommy will be there in a moment."

"Okay!" said Peacemaker. Banana smiled and led the dragonet out of the hut.

"Hope," said Glory, once they were alone. "I hope you realize that... well... there are going to be IceWings at the summit."

Hope shrugged. "That's okay with me. I have no grudge against the present IceWing royalty."

"But what if someone recognizes you?" said Glory. "As Foeslayer?"

Hope laughed. "Besides Winter and Hailstorm, I don't think there's an IceWing alive that knows my face. Believe me. I kept track."

"Alright. That's fair." Glory pursed her lips. "But explain to me – why do you want to go in the first place? If I were you, I'd never want to see another shiny white dragon again."

Hope paused, examining Glory with her deep green eyes. "There are some things I can't just put behind me. I need to see this through."

"See what through, exactly?" said Glory.

"Don't you realize what caused the hostility between the NightWings and IceWings in the first place?" said Hope. "They teach it in the history scrolls, nowadays. A NightWing diplomat stole the IceWings' last animus. In return, the IceWing queen declared vengeance on the entire tribe. That was _me_, Glory. Me and Arctic. I can't just forget about that."

"You don't have to take responsibility for this," said Glory, firmly. "You couldn't have known what would happen. And you're a different dragon now. Just like Peacemaker."

"This is just something I need to do. For me." Hope looked out the window, where Peacemaker was chasing Banana around the clearing. "Look at him. Peacemaker. Maker of peace. Isn't it ironic that his mother plunged two tribes into thousands of years of conflict?" Hope shook her head. "If the NightWings and IceWings are finally going to declare peace, I need to be there."

Glory nodded, slowly. "Well, if you're sure, I suppose I can add you to the list. It'll be nice to have at least one dragon there with a level head."

"Thank you," said Hope with a smile.

"It's the least I can do."

Hope shifted. "Now, I'd better go feed Peacemaker before he devours that poor RainWing whole. I'll see you soon, Queen Glory."

Glory nodded. "Good to see you again, Hope."

As Hope went to fetch her son, Glory leaned back against the wall and sighed. Somehow, the sheer scale of what they were attempting had just hit her. Two thousand years of conflict, and it was coming to a head in a matter of weeks.

She hoped Sunny knew what she was doing.


	33. PPS: 4 The Welcoming Committee

It was a crisp, clear morning, and the dragonets of destiny were lined up on the rock outcropping outside of Jade Mountain Academy.

They had all decorated themselves modestly for the queens' arrival. Sunny wore a golden necklace from Queen Thorn, Starflight had a pair of silver bracelets, and Tsunami had pearls winding around her horns and wings. Clay was the only one without any jewelry, saying that it wasn't a "MudWing thing."

Behind them, a pair of posts bore a giant banner reading _WELCOME TO JADE MOUNTIN ACADEMY,_ with a small A squeezed between the T and I of _MOUNTIN_. (Kinkajou had been very proud of that sign, and no one had the heart to take it down, despite the mistake.)

Last of all, there were seven groups of students, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. They had tacitly divided themselves up by tribe, as if they didn't want to be seen intermingling in the presence of their queens. Despite the early hour, every student at JMA was accounted for.

That is, every student but one.

"I found the SandWing gifts!" shouted Peregrine, dashing onto the platform. He dropped a box overflowing with tapestries. "Is that all of them?"

"Thank you, Peregrine!" Sunny scanned the boxes. "We're still missing one... Oh! The NightWings!"

Peregrine panted. "Art cave supply cabinet?" he said between breaths.

"I think so."

"Guys, look." Tsunami pointed at the sky, where a flock of blue and green dragons was approaching. She sat up a little straighter. "Everyone be polite. I don't want to be embarrassed in front of the Council again."

"You're telling _us_?" said Starflight.

"Shh!"

Sunny ushered Peregrine away. "Please be quick," she whispered.

Peregrine nodded, took a deep breath, then darted back through the cave opening.

Being the fastest dragonet at Jade Mountain Academy had its perks. He always got first dibs at the prey center after class. Few could land a hit on him during self-defense training. But there was one downside: whenever an urgent errand needed to be run, all eyes went to him. And what could be more urgent than last-minute preparations for the most important peace summit in history?

Peregrine soon located the correct box and dashed back to the antechamber, where he saw a gaggle of SeaWings heading the opposite direction. With a gasp, Peregrine ducked around a corner. He poked his head around to watch.

Turtle was in the lead, presumably leading the delegation to their guest quarters. Queen Coral followed, covered in pearls, with a young dragonet attached to her by leash. Princess Auklet, he guessed. Behind her walked more SeaWings than Peregrine had ever seen in one place.

Once they were out of sight, Peregrine flew back to the outcropping.

"She brought the _entire council_?" hissed Tsunami. "Is she trying to send a message?"

"We have room for twelve SeaWings, right?" said Clay. "Twelve and a half, if you count Auklet. The caves by the lake are pretty big, right?"

"It depends on how much they value personal space," said Sunny.

"NightWing gifts!" Peregrine dropped the box beside the dragonets, panting. "Three moons, what did you put in here, rocks?"

"Actually, yes," said Starflight. "Obsidian statues."

"Peregrine, thank you so much for–" started Sunny, but she was quickly shushed by Clay. The imposing shape of five MudWings had risen from the forest below.

Peregrine inched away from the dragonets as Queen Moorhen alighted on the outcropping. She wore rubies around her eyes, and she dwarfed even Queen Coral in size. Her three brothers and one sister were equally as imposing.

"Queen Moorhen." Clay bowed deeply despite his bad leg. The MudWing students in the audience – Marsh, Sepia, and Newt – did the same. "I'm glad you came."

"Of course," said the queen. "Anything if it means I will never have to lead my MudWings into battle again."

"That's the plan," said Clay. "Peace in Pyrrhia, and all that."

Queen Moorhen smiled. "You are quite an exceptional group of dragonets."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Clay smiled back. "Sepia will lead you to your chambers. Once you're all settled, we'll call you for the feast!"

At the mention of the feast, Sunny locked eyes with Peregrine.

"Forgot the napkins?" whispered Peregrine.

"Yes. Tsunami's room. Hurry."

Peregrine slipped past Sepia and the MudWings, who were headed into the caves. "Sorry, dudes. Welcome to Jade Mountain!" He disappeared down the halls before any of them could respond, which was just as well. He had a feeling that "dudes" was not the proper form of address for MudWing royalty.

When Peregrine finally returned, the cloth napkins properly set in the banquet hall (really just a repurposed prey center), Tsunami was greeting a group of seven bejeweled SkyWings.

"We're honored that you could make it, Your Majesty," said the SeaWing.

Queen Ruby looked out at the gathered students, her gaze lingering on Peril for only a moment. "My, look at all these bright students! It's reassuring to know that Pyrrhia's future is in good talons."

Tsunami grinned. "Glad you think so."

"Sunny," gasped Peregrine, grabbing the little SandWing's attention while Garnet led the SkyWings away. He felt like he would collapse if he had to run one more errand. "Did we forget anythingelse?"

"Hm..." Sunny scratched her head. "The gifts are all here... The guest rooms are ready... I double-checked the amphitheater myself..."

Sunny was cut off by an excited shout from Kinkajou. "Glory! Queen Glory! Oh my gosh, she's here!"

A group of RainWings and NightWings alighted on the stone, led by Queen Glory. Clay lumbered forward to give her a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Tsunami smirked. "The queen finally graces us with her presence."

"I missed you guys, too," said Queen Glory. "But this isn't exactly professional, is it?" Despite her words, her scales were turning pink with happiness.

"Ahem," said a lanky NightWing. He stepped forward to stand next to Queen Glory. Based on his fancy necklace, Peregrine presumed it was Trueflier, the newest leader of the NightWing council. Behind him stood eight other NightWings and three sleepy-looking RainWings.

"Please excuse my friends," said Starflight, mustering up his most formal tone of voice. "They're just very excited to greet you. Welcome, NightWings and RainWings, to Jade Mountain Academy. It is our utmost pleasure to have you here today."

"The pleasure is ours," said Trueflier.

"We will be starting the ceremonies at noon," continued Starflight. "For now, you are welcome to get comfortable in your quarters in Jade Mountain and greet the other entourages. Fearless and Kinkajou will be showing you the way."

"This is so cool," whispered a bright pink RainWing from the entourage.

"Shush, Jambu," said Queen Glory.

A sharp gasp from the gathered crowd interrupted the conversation. The IceWing entourage had just appeared around the mountains, led not by Queen Snowfall, but an IceWing wearing a sparkling tiara and a necklace adorned with a single circle. Peregrine gulped. The last time the NightWings and IceWings had seen each other, they had been locked in a battle to the death.

The IceWings landed gracefully on the ledge. Ermine, Changbai, and Alba bowed in practiced unison.

"Hello!" said Sunny. "Um, who is it that I have the pleasure of welcoming today?"

"Princess Seigla," said the leader. "I will be standing in for Queen Snowfall at the summit."

"Yes, of course," said Sunny. "It's an honor to have you here, Your Highness. I hope you find your stay agreeable."

Peregrine's eyes darted between the NightWings and IceWings. The two entourages were staring each other down, barely paying any attention to Sunny. Their expressions ranged from guarded distaste to open furiosity. Only a large, dark green NightWing avoided the stare-off. The RainWings, meanwhile, sat in purpley confusion.

"Hmm," said Seigla. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Sunny. And, of course, Queen Glory."

"Well met," said Queen Glory.

"We are ecstatic that the IceWings have finally given us a chance to meet _peacefully_," said Trueflier. "I look forward to our diplomatic discussion."

"Yes," said Seigla. "It will be interesting to hear the NightWings'... _justifications_... for their actions."

"Ahem," said Queen Glory, sharply. "Maybe we should hold off on the political discussion until everyone has had time to settle in."

Trueflier bowed ever so slightly. "Of course. It would be unbefitting of a tribe to start slinging _accusations_ before the conference can even begin."

Queen Glory shot Trueflier a dangerous look.

"Hmm," said Seigla. "Do not fret. The IceWings are prepared to have a civil discussion. Just as long as no tribe falls back on policies of senseless_ violence._"

"Okay, that's enough!" said Tsunami, trying to usher the two tribes away from each other. Behind her, the crowd of students murmured louder. "NightWings, IceWings – and RainWings – I _insist_ you let our students lead you to your chambers, and we can deal with this _later._"

"Or we could deal with it now," muttered a NightWing, baring her claws. A growl came from one of the IceWings. Seigla and Trueflier refrained from the show of intimidation, but did nothing to stop it. Only the green NightWing shrunk away from the conflict.

Peregrine shot a panicked look at the dragonets of destiny. They looked as anxious as he felt. Surely they wouldn't let the tribes come to blows now, before the summit even began?

Sunny gasped, then leaned over toward Peregrine. "I just remembered," she whispered. "The poster in the history cave that criticizes IceWing royalty. We need to take it down_._"

Peregrine nodded. Sunny was right; the IceWings didn't need any reason to be angrier than they already were. But wasn't it more important to diffuse the current tension? He hesitated, then darted toward the cave entrance one last time.

Before he could even make it inside, his left wing clipped one of the posts of the welcome sign. He crashed to the floor, bringing the banner toppling over as well. The other students let out startled cries as they jumped out of the way.

"Ow!" Peregrine yelled, clutching his wing. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

The NightWings and IceWings turned their heads, the staring match interrupted.

"Peregrine, are you all right?!" asked Sunny, rushing to his side.

"I think I twisted something," he said through gritted teeth.

Glory hurried toward Peregrine as well. "I brought a healer. Newt!"

"I'm on it," said a blue RainWing, dashing toward them. "Help me take him inside." The two RainWings picked up Peregrine, who had curled up into a ball with his wing hanging limply.

Tsunami seized the moment. "Kinkajou, please escort the rest of the RainWings inside. NightWings, IceWings, if you will allow us to take you to your chambers, we can resume this discussion at a more appropriate time, in a more appropriate_ manner_."

"Of course," said Trueflier. "Please, lead the way."

"Yes, of course," echoed Seigla.

Peregrine opened one eye as he was carried away. The NightWings and IceWings were reluctantly parting ways, though a few continued to shoot suspicious glances at each other. He gave a tiny sigh of relief. Then he screwed his eyes shut again, pretending to be in great pain.

_That could have been worse, _he thought to himself. _That could have been much worse._

Queen Thorn landed nearby with her entourage. "Hey everyone," she said. "I brought snacks!"


	34. PPS: 5 Marsh's Epiphany

"The SeaWings are prepared to open up discussions of reparations," said Queen Coral, "so that we may all begin to move on from this tragedy."

Across the round table, Queen Ruby put on a dubious expression. "And which tribe, do you suppose, would be paying the reparations to the others?"

Queen Coral scoffed. "I think there is no doubt in the minds of anyone present that by massacring the civilians of the Summer Palace, the SkyWings have overstepped the bounds of war and committed an unforgivable crime."

The crowd in the Sky Amphitheater murmured quietly. Queen Ruby gazed at the gathered dragons before replying carefully.

"I feel deeply for all of the bystanders that were harmed in Scarlet's attack on the Summer Palace," she said. "If I had been in power at the time, the attack would have never happened. But the Sky Kingdom, being located in the center of Pyrrhia, has been the target of similar bombings for many, many years. I wager that _none_ of the present tribes, save the RainWings, are innocent in this matter."

"Hmph," said Queen Coral. "We'll see about that."

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the amphitheater was packed for the first day of the peace conference. The stage had been decorated with seven tapestries, each emblazoned with the colors and symbols of a different tribe, while the royal representatives sat around the table below. Coral, Ruby, Thorn, Moorhen, Seigla, and Glory were all present, as well as Sunny, who was acting as the moderator. The beanbags had been replaced with somewhat more dignified mats.

Marsh squeezed through the audience to where the rest of his winglet was sitting. "Guys," he said, out of breath. "Have you seen Coconut?"

"I thought he was with you, dude," said Peregrine.

"Where have you been?" said Mindreader. "The first day of the debate has been _crazy._ Did you hear Seigla chewing out Trueflier on the murder of the IceWing prisoners?!"

"I heard Seigla is Queen Snowfall's sister," whispered Pronghorn. "They sent her instead because they were afraid the queen would get assassinated."

"Don't spread rumors like that," snapped Snail.

Alba sat silently nearby, studiously ignoring her winglet's chatter.

"Um, I'm worried about Coconut," said Marsh, trying to bring the conversation back on course. "I've barely seen him all week."

"Check the tadpole pond," said Snail. "Or the prey center."

Marsh nodded, licking his lips nervously. "Alright. I'll be right back."

"Hurry," said Mindreader. "You're going to miss dinner!"

Marsh did hurry, swooping over the pine forest as fast as his stout wings would take him. He knew that Coconut was probably okay. He might just be having a late sun time, or something. But that didn't stop his stomach from churning in worry.

Something had come between him and Coconut recently. He could feel it, like an invisible wall. There was something in the way Coconut avoided his questions, the way he hung out with Boto and Thrush more often, the way he had stopped inviting Marsh to sun time. Yet, Marsh had no idea what had changed. Did Coconut... not want to be friends anymore?

Eventually, Marsh found his clawmate in the corner of the library. Several scrolls were open on a desk, and a dictionary lay face-down on the floor. Coconut held a quill loosely in one talon, but his head was dropping and his eyes were half-closed.

"Coconut," said Marsh, urgently.

"Wuzzt?" The RainWing raised his head, blinking sleepily. "Oh. Hey, Marsh."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just, like, working on a paper." Coconut gazed blankly at his scribbled-over scroll.

Marsh tried to decipher Coconut's clawwriting, to no avail. "What's it about?" he asked.

Coconut sighed. "I don't know. Something about the peace summit."

Marsh swallowed, unsure of what to say. Coconut looked tired. Granted, Coconut always looked sort of tired. But something about his expression and his dull, indigo scales made him seem less drowsy and more _exhausted_.

"I could really use some smokeberries," muttered Coconut.

"Are you okay?" blurted Marsh. "Do you need any help on the paper?"

Coconut shrugged. "It's okay. I don't know. I'll figure it out."

Marsh hesitated. Maybe Coconut resented him for helping with all of his homework. Was that the issue? Was Marsh being overbearing?

"What – what class is this for, anyway?" he stammered. "I didn't know anyone was writing papers about the summit."

"Oh." Coconut scratched behind his horns. "Well, Tsunami sort-of-kind-of said she would kick me out of JMA if I didn't start doing better in my classes, so I'm doing this project for extra credit, or something."

Marsh's eyes widened. "WHAT?" he cried. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Coconut seemed taken aback. "I don't know," he said. "It's not that big of a deal."

"This is a huge deal!" said Marsh. "What if they send you back to the rainforest? We'll never see each other again!"

Marsh felt like his insides were flying jittery loops. Why was Coconut so nonchalant about this? Didn't he _care? _Marsh didn't know what he would do if his clawmate left, if he had to sleep alone in his cold cave every night. Sora and Umber had already run away. If Coconut left too, then Marsh would be all alone.

"You're worrying," said Coconut, his frills drooping. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Of COURSE I'm worrying!" blurted Marsh. "I can't believe they're doing this to you! We have to go talk to them, or something. I bet Clay could change Tsunami's mind if we just asked him. Or maybe this is a misunderstanding!"

"I don't know," muttered Coconut. "I feel like you worry about _everything_. That can't be good for you. Always worrying about this or that, all the time. Sometimes you should just let things happen, you know?"

Marsh stared at Coconut, his heart pounding. _Sometimes you should just let things happen._

Marsh could remember every moment in his life when he had just _let it happen. _When he let himself be drafted into the war. When he let Reed lead them into battle for the first time. When he let Crane die in front of him. Maybe if he'd had a scrap of courage, if he'd convinced his sibs to desert the army instead of just talking about it hypothetically every night, things would have turned out differently.

And now, his best friend in the entire world was about to be snatched away. How could he just _let it happen?_

"I'll talk to Tsunami," said Marsh. "I'm going to make things right."

"Oh," said Coconut. "Are you... sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" said Marsh. "I'll be right back. Maybe – maybe you should just take a nap and _let things happen_, since you're so good at it!"

"Oh," said Coconut, again.

Coconut looked even more miserable than before. Marsh bit his lip, regretting what he'd just said. Were there any words that would make things right? Words that would make Coconut smile again and turn a peaceful purple-blue? Talking to his clawmate used to be so easy. Now, it was like he didn't know him at all.

Marsh turned and ran from the library. He didn't stop until he exited Jade Mountain and leaped into the air above the forest.

Within his painfully swirling emotions, there was an unexpected determination. He was going to convince Tsunami to let Coconut stay, no matter what it took. It was an exhilarating feeling. Maybe this was an epiphany. Maybe this was how he made everything right.

When Marsh returned to the amphitheater, the forest was busy with wingbeats. The dinner recess was about to end, and the royal entourages were trickling back to the stage. He found Tsunami among the trees, engaged in a heated debate with a gray-green SeaWing official for one reason or another. Marsh was starting to suspect she just enjoyed arguing.

"The point is to prevent future attacks of this scale, Princess," growled the official. "Military expansion is the only way to intimidate the other tribes and ensure that they never try something like this again. There would no need to actually _use _our military power, of course, unless the situation demanded it."

"With all due respect, Commander Shark," said Tsunami, "That is the most idiotic thing I've _ever heard._"

"Tsunami," said Marsh, trying to catch her attention. "Principal Tsunami."

The blue SeaWing gave him a cursory glance. "Marsh, can't you see I'm busy right now? Ask Sunny to help you."

"Actually, I, um, I need to talk to you about Coconut."

He was cut off by the sound of the academy's gong, which had been moved to the amphitheater for the conference. Tsunami gave an aggravated sigh. "We'll continue this discussion later, Commander," she said. "I have to moderate the last session of today."

"Wait, Tsunami!" said Marsh, but she was already gone. Shark huffed and flew toward the rest of the SeaWing Council.

Marsh's mouth felt dry. He swallowed as he watched the rest of the congregation move to their places. He felt like he had to act now, or he'd never work up the courage again. But how could he get Tsunami's attention before the conference started?

His eyes drifted to the giant tapestries his winglet had hung just a week earlier. They were supported by a set of ropes tied to trees trunks, ropes that could easily be burned or sliced through without anyone seeing. And the tapestries were large enough, and the golden bars holding them up heavy enough, to disrupt whatever was going on onstage. The staff would probably delay the session for a few minutes at least, to clean up the mess. And then he could steal a moment with Tsunami to convince her not to send Coconut away.

Marsh darted into the forest. He flinched at every noise, terrified that someone would notice him. It was an alien feeling. He had never been a rule breaker or a risk taker. He didn't know what would happen next.

But he _did_ know one thing. He was done just letting things happen_._


	35. PPS: 6 Eavesdropping at Sundown

_Snail's Journal_

_Maius 10th, 5012_

_The second day of the conference ran as scheduled, despite yesterday's fiasco. Queen Glory was absent. I believe she is staying at Jade Mountain Academy with her healer, not just to give her time to recover, but to give us time to search for the culprit. _

_I think everyone is worried the saboteur will strike again. Anyone who saw the slashed ropes could tell that the falling tapestries were a deliberate act of sabotage, not a result of negligence. I should know. I helped set up that rigging system. It remains to be seen whether they intended to harm Queen Glory, or if that was just a coincidence._

_Alba and I decided to volunteer for the search due to our experiences as guards. I don't think we missed much at the conference. If I remember Starflight's timetable correctly, they were discussing intertribal post systems and standardized taxation. Riveting._

_Unsurprisingly, we didn't find anything. We scoured the pine forest all day, but Clay asked us to return to the academy before the sun went down._

_I'm pretty sure there's no one hiding in the forest. Alba agrees with me. I'm convinced that it's someone from the IceWing delegation. The staff of JMA can't accuse them because of diplomatic reasons, but that doesn't mean that they're free from scrutiny. Who else has a grudge against the newest queen of the NightWings?_

_If Tsunami taught me anything, it's that sometimes, doing the right thing is more important than following the rules. And I am certain that this is the right thing to do. Moons willing, this conference will go on._

* * *

Snail sat with Alba in a thicket of shrubs just outside of Jade Mountain Academy's back exit. The sky was turning red with sunset.

"You're sure she goes for a flight at sundown every day?" said Snail.

Alba nodded.

"Are you're sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure if you're sure," murmured Alba.

Snail nodded and settled down to wait.

Her heart was pounding with apprehension, but she tried not to let it show. She breathed deeply and evenly. It was bad enough to have roped Alba into this risky plan; Snail didn't want to make her nervous as well. At least her training as a guard in the Sea Kingdom had given her plenty of practice hiding her emotions.

Snail looked over at Alba. The IceWing was watching the entrance intently, a stoic expression on her face. Out of her winglet, Alba was the one Snail trusted the most. Sure, Mindreader could blend into the night shadows, and Coconut could disappear at a moment's notice. But Alba radiated an aura of responsibility that made Snail feel safer around her. Besides, the quiet IceWing was the only one who followed Snail's orders when she tried to boss the rest of the Copper Winglet around. So, that was a plus.

In a rush of glittering white scales, Princess Seigla and her entourage flew out of Jade Mountain Academy. Snail gave a signal with one talon, and she and Alba took off in pursuit. They ducked below the tree line to avoid being seen. The cool night air stung her face.

Princess Seigla eventually landed at the top of a craggy cliff. Snail landed softly in the forest nearby, with Alba just behind her. There was just enough undergrowth for the dragonets to hide. Snail began sneaking forward.

"It's quite beautiful in the mountains," came Seigla's distant voice. "I can see why Princess Sunny chose to build her academy here."

"Not nearly as beautiful as the Ice Kingdom," came another voice.

"Hmm. I suppose not."

Snail crouched down in the shadows of a bush, while Alba hid in a ditch nearby. Snail couldn't see the IceWings from here, which hopefully meant that they couldn't see her either.

"Your sister would find the recent events quite interesting," said the other IceWing.

"Indeed," said Seigla. "I suppose Snowfall was right. I really did want to give them a chance. But it would seem that they are unable to abstain from violence for even a few days."

"Do you really think it was the NightWings?" said the other. "Would they attack their own queen, at such a vulnerable time?"

"It doesn't seem like their work, if you ask me," said a third IceWing. "Too clumsy."

Seigla coughed. "Perhaps it would be wisest not to discuss such things in the open."

Snail gave Alba a concerned look. _NightWings? _she mouthed.

Alba shrugged.

"I'm feeling a bit peckish," said one of the IceWings. The sound of crunching pine needles floated through the air. "I might go hunting for a snack."

"What sort of prey do they have here anyway?"

Snail realized with alarm that the footsteps were getting closer. She glanced at Alba, who had flattened herself against the ground. If the IceWings passed by, there was no way they'd miss Alba's bright scales. Should they try to fly away now? Or should they stay in place?

Alba looked toward the IceWings, then desperately met Snail's gaze. The IceWings were almost within sight. Snail motioned with her wings for Alba to cover her eyes, and she quickly complied.

For a brief moment, Snail wondered what she had ever done to earn so much trust from her clawmate. Then she leapt out of the bush and lit up all of her luminescent stripes at once.

The IceWings cried out and shielded their eyes. Snail knew they wouldn't be stunned for long; IceWings were naturally resistant to bright light. She swooped into the ditch, grabbed Alba's arm, and pulled her into the trees.

They sped through the dark forest for several long minutes. There was no sign of pursuit, but Snail wanted to be safe. Eventually, she reached a small clearing, where she called to Alba and collapsed onto the mossy ground.

"Are you okay?" said Alba, touching down behind her.

"I'm fine," said Snail. She stomped on the ground. "Fish dung! It wasn't them. And we just made it worse, because they're going to think the SeaWings are spying on them." She started pacing back and forth, burning up with regret. "I'm sorry, Alba. I should have never taken you out here. This was a mistake."

"It's okay," said Alba. "And thank you."

"Thank you for what?" said Snail.

"For saving me."

Snail looked up and finally noticed a trickle of blue blood coming from Alba's cheek.

"Three moons, Alba, you're bleeding!"

"I am?" Alba blinked and touched her face with one talon. "I must have hit my head when we were running away."

Snail lit up a stripe on her snout and got closer to examine the wound. She could feel Alba's breath, which was cold, like an arctic wind.

"It's just a scratch," muttered Snail. "Let's stop by the river to wash it."

They decided to walk to reduce the chances of getting caught. The trek was long and uneventful, leaving time for Snail's mind to fly in circles. She was only now realizing the ramifications of getting caught. Alba was one of Seigla's own subjects. Eavesdropping could amount to treason in the Ice Kingdom, for all she knew. Why had Alba agreed to such a dangerous mission?

She looked over her shoulder at her clawmate, whose scales glittered in the moonlight that filtered through the tall trees.

_I should have never endangered her, _Snail thought. _Alba trusts me, whether I deserve it or not. And that's more important than solving any mystery._


	36. PPS: 7 The Confession

The sky was overcast when the seven delegations settled onto the stage again. A low rumble came from deep within the earth.

"Before we begin the third day of discussion," said Princess Seigla. "There are certain... _pressing matters_... that must be addressed."

"Do tell," said Queen Moorhen.

Princess Seigla cleared her throat. "Last night, when the IceWing delegation was taking its nightly flight, we discovered a dragon hidden in the undergrowth. They blinded us with a bright light and escaped."

A shocked murmur arose from the crowd.

Seigla glared at the SeaWing delegation. "Only the SeaWings are capable of producing such light. And we are miles and miles away from the nearest SeaWing settlement. That leaves only one possible culprit."

"Surely you are not accusing _us _of eavesdropping!" said Queen Coral, outraged. "The SeaWing delegation has done nothing of the sort."

"Hmm. Remind me. Were the SeaWings and NightWings not united under Blister's banner during the war? Is there not some incentive for the SeaWings to aid their long-time allies?"

"The NightWings have been nothing but honest and transparent at this peace summit," interjected Trueflier. "We are not the root of the problem here. If you may recall, it is _our _queen who was the subject of an unprecedented attack just two days ago."

"Unprecedented attack?" said Queen Thorn. "More like interior decoration mishap."

"Enough!" said Tsunami, from the center of the stage. "Trueflier, Queen Glory's injury was _just _a coincidence, and she is making a full recovery. Princess Seigla, I don't know what you saw last night, we will not tolerate baseless accusations at the conference. Is that settled?"

No one spoke out, but Queen Seigla maintained her suspicious glare at the NightWings.

"Good." Tsunami shuffled her papers officiously. "The first item on our agenda is intertribal education. Afterward, we will be discussing..." Tsunami glanced at her papers. "The conflict between the NightWings and IceWings. Then we will break for lunch."

Kinkajou huffed, her scales swimming with brown. Couldn't everyone just _get along? _She swore that Queens could be so immature. If Queen Glory was here, instead of recovering in the medicine cave, she bet everything would be much better.

"Something bad is going to happen," muttered Turtle from her side. "I can feel it."

Qibli nodded. "Declaring peace is out of the question at this point. The IceWings and NightWings are at each other's throats."

Kinkajou glanced at Moon. The NightWing was silent, but she looked anxious, scratching at the stone under her claws.

"Do you think Tsunami is enjoying bossing actual queens around?" Kinkajou whispered, hoping to cheer her friend up.

Moon laughed weakly. "I bet."

The stone rumbled again, vibrating under their claws.

"Earthquake," noted Qibli. "Probably just a small one."

A sharp voice caught Kinkajou's attention. Seated nearby was the Copper Winglet, who looked just as gloomy as Kinkajou felt. Marsh seemed particularly upset. He had picked up an interesting twitch in his left shoulder, which made his wingtip draw tiny, erratic circles in the air.

Snail was the voice she had heard. The stout SeaWing was pushing through the crowd to the rest of her winglet. "Hey. All of you. We need to have a winglet meeting."

"Now?" said Mindreader, her eyes still fixed on the stage. "They're about to talk about the NightWings and IceWings!"

"That's why we need to meet _right now. _Come on."

Snail took off into the air. The rest of the winglet reluctantly followed, bickering amongst themselves.

"Curious," muttered Kinkajou. "Very curious."

Moon looked up from the stage. "What is?"

"Nothing, probably," said Kinkajou. "But if it _is _something, I'll tell you all about it in a moment."

"Huh?" said Moon, but the RainWing had already disappeared. Moon's voice took on a warning tone. "Kinkajou, don't get into any trouble."

"Don't worry about me!" said Kinkajou, following the Copper Winglet with her scales camouflaged. "I'll be right back!"

_Oh, I won't get into trouble. But Snail and her friends might be about to._

Kinkajou trailed them to the Copper Winglet common room, where they arranged themselves in a circle: Snail, Alba, Pronghorn, Peregrine, Coconut, Mindreader, and Marsh. It almost looked like they were holding a mini peace conference of their own.

Kinkajou crouched near the wall, trusting her camouflage to keep her hidden. Only other RainWings were practiced in finding a hidden RainWing. And who was going to notice her here? Coconut? _He_ probably wouldn't notice if his wings turned into sloths.

"So, Snail, my man," said Peregrine. "What's all this about?"

Snail took a deep breath. "I called this meeting because it's time for certain dragons to come clean."

Marsh's head jerked upward.

"It's not right to keep secrets," continued Snail, "let alone from your own winglet. If we're going to make things right, then we have to trust each other. Right?"

A confused murmur of consensus went around the circle. Kinkajou might have imagined it, but she thought she saw Marsh start vibrating.

_OOOH, _she thought. _I was right! Something JUICY is going on here._

"I know I'm building this up a lot, but you'll understand in a moment," continued Snail. "The truth is–"

"I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT QUEEN GLORY!" cried Marsh.

"–Alba and I are the ones who spied on the IceWings." Snail blinked. "What?"

Coconut sighed. "And I ate the cookies that Pronghorn was saving for later."

The circle sat in stunned silence for a few moments. It took Kinkajou everything she had to prevent herself from jumping up and down in excitement. This was it! The mysterious saboteurs!

"Hey!" said Pronghorn, at length. "My grandmother made those for me!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Snail shook her head. "Forget about the cookies. Marsh, you didn't mean to _what?_"

"...You mean that's not what you were talking about?" said Marsh, very quietly.

After a few minutes, Kinkajou was up-to-date on the _extremely _juicy details of the past few days.

"I can't believe it," said Mindreader. "There _is _no saboteur. There _is _no spy. It was just you guys all along!"

Marsh nodded, miserably. Kinkajou couldn't believe it either. How could the gentle, nervous MudWing have done something so destructive?

"_I _can't believe Coconut ate my cookies," muttered Pronghorn.

"It's official." Peregrine shook his head. "Pyrrhia's going to war again, and it's all going to be our fault."

"Absolutely not!" said Snail. "We can make this right. We just need to come clean."

Marsh gasped. "No, no, no! We can't! Tsunami will kick us out of JMA! We might never see each other again!"

"Better than risking the start of another war," snapped Snail. "Don't be selfish."

Marsh looked down at his claws again, curling his tail around his body. He looked like he might cry.

Snail sighed. "Sorry, Marsh. I didn't mean that. But there's nothing we can do. We need to find Sunny, tell her everything, and accept our punishment with dignity." She paused. "Except you, Alba. They don't need to know about you."

Alba looked skeptical. "I can take the punishment. The winglet needs you more."

"Are you crazy?" said Snail. "Think about what Seigla might do to you!"

The dragonets erupted into argument. Kinkajou stayed in her hidden position, plotting. It sounded like the Copper Winglet might come clean on their own, which was good. She wouldn't have to admit to eavesdropping. She could just keep it between her and Moon.

Eventually, Mindreader's voice cut through the commotion. "Uh, guys. GUYS! Where did Marsh go?"

The cave fell silent. Kinkajou looked around, but there were only six other dragons in the chamber.

Snail let out an aggravated breath. "Everybody, split up and look for him. We need his testimony before things get worse at the summit."

"Meet at the amphitheater at noon?" Peregrine suggested.

"Sure," said Snail. "And please take this seriously. The fate of Pyrrhia might depend on us all right now."

Kinkajou grinned and rubbed her talons together, perhaps more nefariously than strictly necessary. Oh, the Copper Winglet was lucky she was here. Saving Pyrrhia was her _specialty_.


	37. PPS: 8 Clawmates

The fate of Pyrrhia had never depended on Coconut before.

In fact, very few dragons had ever depended on Coconut. Dragons in the rainforest tended to just ignore him. It didn't matter whether he showed up to tree-gliding class, or took a nap, or flew to Monkey Island and played with the monkeys. No one cared.

Except for that time Kinkajou was kidnapped. Apparently, she had counted on Coconut to look for her. But Coconut hadn't even realized she was gone until she came back and yelled at him. That's how it usually went when dragons depended on him.

So, when Coconut found his clawmate sitting by the lake, he was very nervous. Snail was depending on him to bring Marsh back. And that could only end badly.

Coconut landed as gently as he could. "Um, hi."

Marsh sniffled and looked up. It looked like he'd been crying.

"Are you okay?" said Coconut.

Marsh rubbed his eyes. "I don't know."

Coconut knew this place. It was where he'd invited Marsh to sun time on the first day of school. Except this time, the sun was blocked by thick clouds, and a chilly wind rustled the pine trees.

An anxious green ran through his scales. Did the fate of Pyrrhia _really _depend on him? He couldn't even wrap his mind around being that important. Saving Pyrrhia was something that dragons like Sunny, or Moon, or even Snail did. Surely not _him. _He suddenly wished that he'd paid more attention in History. They were trying to stop the NightWings and IceWings from fighting, right? What were they fighting over again?

"It's all my fault," said Marsh. "I wanted to make things better but I just made everything a million times worse. I always ruin everything."

"No you don't," said Coconut.

"Yes, I do." Marsh sniffled again. "I just don't want to get kicked out. I want things to go back to normal again."

Coconut felt the same way. "Um, me too."

Marsh looked miserable. He'd looked miserable ever since their "argument" the previous day, if that even counted as one. (Coconut didn't have a lot of experience with arguing, so he wasn't sure.) He thought he should apologize, but he didn't know what to apologize _for. _He'd only been trying to relieve some of the stress that Marsh perpetually carried around with him. He figured that writing the essay himself (with the tiniest bit of help from Boto and Thrush) would impress Marsh and stop him from worrying so much about Coconut or whatever. But now, Marsh was worrying more than ever.

"So," Coconut said, slowly. "Snail says you should come back to the conference so you can talk to Sunny."

Marsh turned to look at his clawmate, a pained expression on his face. "Aren't you even _worried?_"

"Huh?" Coconut was taken aback. "Yes, sort of."

"You probably don't even care whether I leave or not," said Marsh, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm useless. Why would anyone care?"

"I care," said Coconut quietly.

"Yeah, right!" said Marsh. "Then why don't you invite me to sun time anymore? Why do you keep avoiding me?"

"I don't know," said Coconut, reeling. "I'm not avoiding you. I just thought... maybe..."

"You just wanted to get away from me!" shouted Marsh. "You probably never liked me in the first place!"

Coconut couldn't speak. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Marsh flapped into the air, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry for wasting your time! I – I wish we were never clawmates!"

He started flying east, away from the school, as if he planned to fly all the way back to the Mud Kingdom. Coconut watched, helplessly, as the MudWing grew smaller and smaller.

He lay down and set his head on the dirt, his scales turning a gloomy indigo. His heart thudded dully in his chest. He felt like a worm. He felt like the worst worm in the world.

Why couldn't Marsh see how much he meant to Coconut? Why couldn't he realize how sweet and funny and clever he was? If only Coconut was half as smart as his clawmate, he could figure out what went wrong and make everything right again. But right now, he just wanted to sleep.

It would be so simple. All he had to do was close his eyes and float away like a cloud. Then, when he woke up again, maybe the sky would be sunny, and Marsh would be back to normal, and they would laugh about the whole thing and eat omelets together.

Someone else would just have to save Pyrrhia for now.

"Coconut?"

Coconut looked up. A pink and yellow RainWing was frowning at him.

"Kinkajou? What are you doing here?"

Kinkajou helped Coconut to his feet. "You need to follow Marsh."

Coconut rubbed his arm. "Why don't you do it? You're a lot better at this emotional stuff than me."

"Because you're clawmates. He's _your _friend, not mine. And you're not going to abandon your friend _this _time... right?" Kinkajou gave him a very knowing look.

"Right," said Coconut, sheepishly.

Kinkajou made a shooing motion. "Go!"

Wordlessly, Coconut took to the air and headed east. He looked back, but Kinkajou had already disappeared. Had she ever been there in the first place? Or had he just had a vision?

He was worried that Marsh had too much of a head start, but within minutes, he caught up. His clawmate was sitting on a patch of dirt on a sloping mountainside, surrounded by scraggly trees.

"Marsh!" he yelled, from a distance. "Maaarsh!"

"Coconut?" The MudWing turned around to watch his clawmate approach. Coconut tried to land at full speed, tripped on a rock, and spun head over heels before coming to a stop.

"Coconut! Are you okay?!" Marsh hurried to his side.

Without a word, Coconut got to his talons and wrapped his clawmate in the biggest, tightest hug he'd ever given him.

"Wmmph?" asked Marsh, his face pressed against Coconut's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," said Coconut. "Please don't leave. I really, really want you to stay."

Marsh managed to break away from the embrace. "Really?" he said, weakly.

The words were all coming in a rush now. "I wasn't avoiding you," said Coconut. "I just wanted you to think I was smart and could do things by myself, and I thought maybe if I wrote a really, really good paper, you would be so impressed that you'd stop worrying about me all the time and not be stressed anymore, and maybe if I spent less time with you, I would look more independent and you would like me more, or whatever, so..." He took a deep breath, tears welling up in his eyes. That was more words than he usually spoke in an entire day. "So, um, please don't go," he finished, lamely.

Marsh hesitated, then hugged his clawmate again. Then he started sobbing. Coconut blinked back his own tears as he rubbed Marsh's back, letting his scales turn soothing colors. He let out a deep breath. It felt good to be holding Marsh in his arms again.

He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be saving Pyrrhia.

"Um, will you come back to the conference now?" said Coconut.

"Okay," whispered Marsh.

Coconut sighed in relief. He guessed saving Pyrrhia wasn't so hard after all.


	38. PPS: 9 Alba's Sacrifice

Deep below the Claws of the Clouds Mountains, the earth rumbled, more violently than before.

"SNAIL!" yelled Peregrine from a distance. "COCONUT FOUND HIM! THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY!"

"Yes!" cheered Snail. "Just in time, too. The conference is turning into a shouting match. Bring them to the amphitheater, ASAP." Then she turned to Alba. "Come with me."

Alba nodded and sped through the forest after her clawmate. She perked her ears. In the distance, she could hear the roaring of the royal delegations. That didn't sound good.

"Who is going to confess?" she asked. "Me or you?"

"We'll figure it out," muttered Snail.

When they arrived at the conference, the NightWing and IceWing entourages were all but spitting fire at each other.

"The NightWings do not know peace!" cried Seigla. "They never have and they never will. Even at a meeting of peace, they resort to trickery and lies. How can you trust a tribe that purported to have magic powers for thousands of–"

"The NightWings _do _have powers!" roared Trueflier. "We are a changed tribe! Remind me, which queen is it that called for genocide? Which queen ordered her subjects to battle to the death?"

"DRAGONS," yelled Tsunami. "For the love of seaweed, would you STOP YELLING?"

"There," said Alba, locating Sunny and Clay standing just off the stage. She and Snail streaked down to the ground.

"Sunny!" called Snail. "We have important information!"

"I'm sorry, Snail, can it wait?" Sunny gave them a worried look. "We're discussing how to stop the conflict from–"

"Marsh cut the tapestries. Alba and I spied on the SeaWings." Snail screwed up her face. "Shit. I mean, _I_ spied on the SeaWings."

Sunny stared. "You mean–"

She was cut off by a loud rumbling. The stone amphitheater began to shake violently. Dragons let out cries of alarm and lifted off their seats.

"Who-ho-hoa!" said Clay, flapping into the air. "Jeez, it's like we made the earth angry or something."

"Sunny, listen!" said Snail, trying to regain the SandWing's attention. Meanwhile, Alba stared intently at the stage. The Sky Amphitheater was old. Very old. There were cracks suffusing the marble ceiling, as well as the columns that held it up. As she watched, a piece of stone fell and crashed into the round table, splintering it.

"Everyone get off the stage!" yelled Tsunami. Chaos erupted as dragons of all tribes flew into the air. Only a green NightWing remained, her wing trapped against the ground by a fallen rock.

Alba shot through the air and skidded onto the stage, chunks of white marble crashing all around her. The NightWing was trying desperately to free her wing. Alba threw herself against the rock and lifted it, just enough for the NightWing to pull her wing away. Then, she dropped it with a thud. Above them, the ceiling was finally collapsing.

There was no time to take flight. Alba shoved the NightWing against some rubble, hoping it would provide some cover. Then she threw herself on top to shield her from the falling rocks.

* * *

It was a bright and clear day in the Ice Kingdom, and Alba's regiment was lined up in the palace's training yard. Alba stood to attention, her spear clasped tightly, her eyes fixed on the wall opposite her. They had just finished a grueling training session, and she was exhausted. But she did not allow her posture to slip.

"With the increasing NightWing aggression," said their sergeant, Caribou, "it is critical for us to be prepared, more than ever before. Queen Glacier's safety is our utmost goal. It is more important than your well-being. It is more important than your life. Understood?"

"Yes, Sergeant," said Alba, in sync with the rest of the regiment.

"At ease, trainees. Report to the mess."

Alba started to fly away with the others, but the sergeant caught her by the arm. "Except you, Alba. You need to speak to the Minister of Foreign Affairs."

"Yes, Sergeant," she said, confused. "What for?"

"You've heard of Jade Mountain Academy, right?"

Alba nodded.

"The queen is holding a lottery for non-Circle IceWings that want to attend the academy. I think you should apply."

"Me?" said Alba. "But I'm a trainee. My job is to protect the queen."

Caribou shook his head. "You're wasting your potential out here. You're the smartest dragonet out of all my regiments. I really think you should consider it."

Alba blinked, but didn't respond.

"I nominated you for the position, but the Minister needs to do a quick interview. Background screening, mostly. Routine stuff. Meet me here in an hour, alright?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

* * *

"You're really going away?" said Alba's mother.

"I'll do whatever the queen asks of me."

"But you were so excited to become a guard!"

Alba picked at her prey. It was true. Outside of the Circles, joining the military was pretty much an IceWing's highest calling. Alba had always thought that protecting Queen Glacier was her destiny.

"I can still be a guard," said Alba. "I'll do a brief stint at JMA, do what's expected of me, then come back and finish my training."

"You don't turn down an invitation from the queen," said Alba's father, tearing a leg off the musk ox they had caught for dinner. "That's all I'm saying."

Alba looked around their humble, wooden home. It might be a while until she saw it again. Her parents and her four older siblings were seated around the remains of the musk ox. Taiga, the second youngest, wore a forlorn expression. The others looked like they couldn't care less.

"You should stay," said Taiga. "Who else is going to sweep out the chimney? No one else will fit."

"You'll have to get a broom," said Alba.

Alba's father laughed. "Moons forbid. We're replacing our youngest daughter with a broom."

Alba touched Taiga's tail with her own. "I'll come back," she said quietly. Taiga smiled.

* * *

It hit Alba particularly hard when Jade Mountain Academy received news of the IceWing plague. Queen Glacier was dead. And Alba hadn't even been in the Ice Kingdom when it happened.

"Alba?" said Snail. The IceWing looked up to see her two clawmates standing at the doorway. "Where were you? You never miss class."

"Sorry." Alba put her head down again. "Overslept."

Mindreader and Snail exchanged skeptical looks.

"You should come to lunch," said Mindreader. "It'll make you feel better."

"No thanks."

Snail cleared her throat. "Let's try that again. Alba, come with us to the prey center. _Now_."

Alba sighed. "Fine."

Snail nodded and left the sleeping cave. Alba unfolded her limbs and followed.

"Wait, how the heck did you do that?" said Mindreader, tagging along behind them.

"Guard instincts," said Snail.

"Hmmm." Mindreader tapped her chin. "Alba, do a cartwheel. _Now._"

Alba shot an icy glare at Mindreader. Every IceWing knew how to do one.

The NightWing shrugged. "Worth a shot."

For weeks after that, Alba felt like she was drifting. She no longer had a purpose in life. Maybe that's why she gravitated to Snail. The SeaWing was very practical. Sticking to her side made the day-to-day motions a little easier.

"You know," said Alba, as she and Snail compared notes by the tadpole pond. "I used to dream about giving my life to protect Queen Glacier."

"Not anymore, I suppose."

"Not anymore."

Snail rolled out her scroll to the next section. "Good. You shouldn't give your life for anyone."

"But what if it's someone important?" said Alba. "Wouldn't you give your life for Queen Coral?"

Snail shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose if Queen Coral was ever in danger, I'd find out."

* * *

Someone heaved a chunk of marble away, letting light shine in. Alba's vision faded in and out of focus, her whole body wracked with pain. She barely registered the MudWing's face.

"Newt! Get over here!" shouted Clay.

_Queen Glacier is already dead_, thought Alba. _So this NightWing will have to do. _

Alba closed her eyes, slowly slipping back into unconsciousness.

_I hope Taiga forgives me._


	39. PPS: 10 Sunny Tries to Change History

Sunny arrived at the medicine tent early in the morning, hoping to visit the patients before the final day of the summit. It seemed like she wasn't the only dragon with that idea.

"Let us see her," demanded Snail.

"Uh, sorry," said Jambu. His head was poking out of the tent's entrance. "Newt's not letting anyone visit right now."

"Alba's going to be okay, right?" asked Marsh.

"She'll be fine," croaked Hope, who was resting in the shade nearby. "If anyone can fix her, it's Newt. I wager she's the best healer in Pyrrhia."

"Yeah, that," said Jambu. "Now, some space, please?"

"Fine," snapped Snail, "but we're coming back later."

"Okay, sure." Jambu disappeared back inside.

"Snail, Marsh!" Sunny landed on the coarse grass nearby. "Early start today, huh?"

Both dragonets flinched. "Guess so," said Snail. Marsh gave Sunny the tiniest glance, then stared at the ground.

"It's okay," said Sunny, gently. "I'm not here to punish you."

Snail nodded. Marsh swallowed silently.

Sunny turned to the green NightWing. "Hope, I'm glad to see you outside. Are you feeling better?"

"Mildly," said Hope. "Apparently I've recovered enough for Newt to let me get some fresh air."

Sunny smiled. "That's good to hear."

"I'm lucky Alba was there," said Hope. "Newt said I could have lost my wing, or worse."

Sunny nodded, solemnly. Alba had suffered from multiple lacerations and broken bones while rescuing Hope. It took all the delegations working together to dig her out from the rubble, and Newt had to set up an emergency tent to treat her. Underneath Alba, they found Hope, who had avoided the brunt of the force. She was bandaged up and left to rest.

"Marsh, looks like your boyfriend's awake," said Snail, looking toward Jade Mountain. Coconut was flying toward them.

"Huh?" Marsh looked up. "Coconut? We're not – he's not – we're just friends."

Snail raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

Coconut landed with a _thump. _"Hey, Marsh."

"Hi, Coconut. What are you–"

Coconut interrupted the MudWing by hugging him tightly. Marsh meekly returned the motion, then gave the gathered dragons an embarrassed look. Sunny covered her laugh with one wing.

"Are you two dating or not?" said Snail.

"No," said Marsh.

"Yeah," said Coconut at the same time.

Marsh let go of his clawmate. "Wait, what?"

"Right?" Coconut tilted his head. "Why do you think we cuddle all the time?"

Marsh rubbed his arm. "Oh, I – I thought that was just a RainWing thing."

"Nope."

Snail laughed. "Marsh, you can be so oblivious sometimes."

"Anyway, Pronghorn wants to talk to you about your testimonies," said Coconut. "He started writing down a bunch of words and stuff."

"Oh, right." Snail sighed. "Probably good to have that on paper. Sunny, we'll see you later."

"Take care," said Sunny. "And please, don't stress too much about today. All you have to do is be honest, and everything will turn out okay, I promise."

Snail smiled. "Thanks, Sunny."

As the three students flew away, Sunny massaged her face. She'd barely gotten any sleep the past night, preparing for today's speech. What a nightmare this summit had become. They'd started with such good intentions. How could everything have gone so wrong?

"The past few days were a headache, huh?" said Hope.

"You're telling me."

Hope put on a reassuring smile. "Don't despair. You've done a great thing for Pyrrhia, you know."

"I think so, too," said Sunny. "For a while, it seemed like we might have made intertribal relations _worse. _But hopefully we can bring it all back today."

Hope chuckled. "Hey. If an IceWing can save a NightWing's life, then anything is possible."

Sunny smiled. "Guess so."

* * *

Sunny scanned the crowded clearing. With the amphitheater in ruins, everyone had been crowded into the forest for the closing statements, with only a wooden podium indicating that the event was a conference and not a large picnic. Councilors, students, NightWings, and IceWings all stood side by side, warily eyeing the SandWings' poisonous tail barbs. A few RainWings found perches in the surrounding trees instead.

At the front of the crowd, the leaders of the seven entourages sat in a row. Even Queen Glory was present. Sunny knew Glory had been dying to return ever since her injury, but Newt had insisted that she rest. The RainWing healer could be surprisingly forceful when she needed to be.

Finally, behind the podium was Snail, looking very small in front of the huge crowd.

"We did not act in affiliation with the SeaWing representatives," she was saying. "We did not confer with them before or after the incident. We only did it to satisfy our own curiosity." Snail paused for a long moment. "That is all."

The crowd started talking loudly as the SeaWing stepped away from the podium. "Good job," said Sunny as she passed by. "You did good too, Marsh."

"Are you kidding?" Marsh shivered. "There were so many dragons looking at me. I almost passed out."

Coconut squeezed Marsh's talon, and he looked a little better.

Sunny stepped up to the podium. "Hello, everybody!" she said, but her voice was drowned out by the chatter. She frowned, and glanced at Clay. The MudWing nodded.

"HEY, EVERYONE!" yelled Clay. "Silence, please! Sunny is going to talk now!"

A hush fell over the crowd again, and a hundred pairs of eyes turned to look at Sunny. Though she had addressed the conference several times before, she was still awed by the sight. Were all these important dragons really listening to _her_? Little, funny-looking Sunny?

"Thank you, everyone, for your attention," she started. "I'm sorry that it took so long for us to uncover this information. But, as you can see, _nobody_ here was out to harm or deceive anyone else. None of the tribes are spying on each other, or plotting an assassination, or anything terrible like that. Remember that we all came here for the same reason. We all want _peace_."

Sunny looked at each queen in turn. "Pyrrhia _needs _peace. Pyrrhia needs peace so, so badly. It needs to rebuild its cities. It needs to rediscover its art. It needs to reunite its families. But peace can feel like such a far-away target. What can we do when everyone else expects us to fight? Won't we just get run over by those who are willing to shed blood to get what they want? Sometimes, it feels like nothing short of a dragonet of destiny can change the world.

"But let me share with you a secret." Sunny motioned to her friends, who all stood up a little straighter. "There's really nothing special about us. We're not the fiercest or the smartest dragons in the world. But there is one thing that set us apart. Dragons _believed _in us.

"During our journey, in every tribe we visited, we met secret believers. Dragons who hummed 'the dragonets are coming' at night. The truth is, dragons _always_ wanted peace. They just needed something to give them faith. When the prophecy arrived, it was like a promise: 'yes, we _will _bring peace! We _will _save Pyrrhia! We just need a little bit of your help.'

"That's what really saved Pyrrhia. It wasn't me. It wasn't Clay, Tsunami, Glory, or Starflight. It was all the brave dragons who believed in us and stuck out their neck to help us along. We made a promise to them, and together, we made it come true.

Sunny drew in a deep breath. "Now, I don't have prophetic powers. But I'm going to make another promise to you all today. A promise I will stand behind for the rest of my days. If all the tribes are willing to cooperate... if every dragon does their part... then we _will _achieve lasting peace in Pyrrhia.

Sunny took a breath to continue, but she was interrupted by the sound of applause. It was Hope, near the back of the crowd, clapping on her own. Then Jambu started clapping too. Then Kinkajou. Then Moon. Slowly, the sound grew, until even the queens were applauding. Seigla and Trueflier looked reluctant, but Ruby and Moorhen clapped enthusiastically. And Thorn had such a look of pride on her face that Sunny felt like she might swell up and explode with happiness.

"Thank you, everyone," said Sunny, once the noise died down. "It means so much to me that you were willing to gather here and take this first step toward peace in Pyrrhia. Even though the flight ahead of us is long and difficult, I know that we can pull through."

Sunny unrolled a scroll in front of her. "I'd like to close by reading an excerpt from a wonderful essay written by one of our students, Coconut.

"_In school we learned that flowers compete with each other to try and have the brightest colors. It makes more bees come to them than having duller one. Sometimes RainWings do that too because they want to be popular or the prettiest. But I don't like doing it very much. I think RainWings would get along a lot better if they didn't compete all the time._

_"I think that is the difference between dragons and flowers, because flowers can't decide what to do on their own. If the flowers went to war they would probably never stop, even if they had the Flowerets of Destiny. But dragons can work together any time we want to."_

A few dragons laughed. Sunny looked up from the scroll and smiled her biggest smile. "If I've learned anything from the past few years, it's that we are in control of our own destiny. We're dragons, not flowers. Let's bring peace to Pyrrhia, together."


	40. Turtle's Writing Challenge

"What have you been doing all week?" asked Kinkajou, poking Turtle. "You hardly leave your room anymore."

Turtle yawned, continuing to write with one talon. "Sorry. I've been kind of busy."

"What is this for?" Kinkajou squinted at Turtle's messy script.

"Starflight's writing challenge," said Turtle. "I have to write thirty pages by the end of the month. I have just one page left and then I can finally, _finally_ rest."

"Three moons," said Kinkajou. "That's a LOT of words!"

"You said it," said Turtle. "About fifteen thousand, to be exact."

"I don't even _know_ fifteen thousand words. Can I read it later?"

"Sure," said Turtle. "And here's the coolest part. Starflight has been talking with Queen Coral about publishing student writing. I don't want to jinx it, but there's a _possibility _that they'll publish my story."

"No way!" Kinkajou hopped onto a pillow eagerly. "What's it about?"

"It's about an energetic and friendly SeaWing," said Turtle, "whose home is torn apart by a magical storm. It's a sort of adventure fantasy."

"That sounds _awesome_," said Kinkajou. "What's the SeaWing's name?"

Turtle hesitated. "Uh... Seaweed."

Kinkajou burst out laughing. "You wrote an epic story about a SeaWing and you decided to name her _Seaweed_? That's the lamest name I've ever heard!"

"Yeah," said Turtle, laughing nervously. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Can I read some of it?" Kinkajou peered over Turtle's shoulder.

"No!" Turtle tried to cover the paper with his talons. "I mean, I don't know if - It's not really-"

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's great!" said Kinkajou. "Sheesh, I can't read your clawwriting at ALL."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," said Turtle, drawing the manuscript away from her. "I promise I'll let you read it later, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I can take a hint," said Kinkajou. "I'll leave you alone so you can get back to writing. You can do it, Turtle! I believe in you!"

"Thanks, Kinkajou," said Turtle.

"But get some sleep, seaweed-head!"

"Believe me, when I finish this page, my head is hitting the pillow."

As soon as Kinkajou left, Turtle breathed a sigh of relief. He looked down at the last paragraph he had written.

_Pinkajou thrust the ruby scepter above her head, the dying sunlight glimmering faintly in the stone, just as it did in her determined eyes. "This is your final warning, Darkcreeper!" she cried. "Leave me and my friends alone!"_

"I'll change the names later," muttered Turtle, dipping his quill into the inkpot.


	41. A Fortu-Newt Encounter

Newt peeked her head out of the Quartz Winglet caves. The coast was clear.

She quickly flew down the corridor, heading toward the back exit for her morning hunt with Sepia. She wasn't usually so secretive. It was just a little intimidating to be in the same mountain as _six queens_, if you could imagine that. As far as Newt was concerned, social interaction was hard enough without worrying about how and when to bow, or what form of address was appropriate for a princess, or, moons forbid, what to do if she ran across Queen Moorhen herself.

Some days Newt wished she was back in the Mud Kingdom, collecting bugs in the bog and watching the sun set over the fields. To be honest, her sister was the only reason she was at Jade Mountain Academy. Sib groups of two stuck together, and that was that. If only Sepia had been satisfied with raising livestock and growing grains like Newt and the rest of the village.

But no; first, it was learning to read, then raising a war fund, then going to a faraway school full of rude SandWings, snobby IceWings, and annoying RainWings who wanted to be friends with _everybody. _And worst of all: no mud whatsoever_. _Maybe this stony, cold mountaintop was a dream vacation spot for a SkyWing, but Newt simply found it miserable.

Newt turned a corner and collided head-on with a small blue RainWing carrying an armful of mangos. They both crashed to the floor, mangos rolling everywhere.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" said the RainWing, an embarrassed light pink flooding her scales. She scrambled to pick up the colorful fruit.

"Ow," said Newt, cradling her head.

The RainWing gave her a concerned look and reached out a talon. "Are you okay?"

Newt flinched away from the contact. "I'm fine," she said. "A little headache, is all."

"I'm really, really sorry," said the RainWing. "Um, do you want me to look at that? I'm trained in medicine, you know. Queen Glory took me along to the summit just in case that – well, just in case."

"It was just a little bump," said Newt. "I think I'll be okay."

"Okay, that's good." The RainWing laughed awkwardly. "Three moons, what a terrible way to start the day. I'm here to heal dragons, not injure them, you know?"

"Yeah, right."

"Do you... do you want a mango? To make up for it?"

"MudWings don't really eat mangos," said Newt.

"Oh, they're awesome! You should try one!" said the RainWing. She started gathering up the fruits again. "I'm fetching some food for Queen Glory and the other RainWings, but, um, I might have gone a little overboard. I'm a little nervous, I think. Lots of things happening at once, you know? Haha."

"Yeah, right," said Newt. She was antsy to meet up with Sepia, but she didn't know how to extract herself from the conversation. Didn't RainWings know how to take a hint?

"You're a student here, right?" said the RainWing. "That's so cool. I've always wanted to meet a MudWing. Um, what's your name, anyway?"

"Newt."

The RainWing gaped at her, light purple running through her scales. "No way! My name's Newt too!"

"But... that's a MudWing name," said Newt, feeling silly for even saying it.

"We've got newts in the rainforest too," said the RainWing. "Haha. Isn't that cool? We're from different tribes, but we have the same name!"

"I guess," said Newt. "It probably happens all the time."

"Ah, guess so." The RainWing scratched her ruff, smiling sheepishly.

Newt wasn't sure what to make of this RainWing, who she had started calling Little Newt in her head. She gave off the same frenetic energy as Kinkajou, but with an awkward kindness that made Newt feel bad for cold-shouldering her. Most dragonets at Jade Mountain didn't even try to interact with her. They had bigger things to worry about than the weird dragonet who only talked to her sister and had a weird obsession with insects.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm holding you up!" said Little Newt, turning light pink again. "I'm sure you have lots of friends who are expecting you or, um, something like that."

"It's okay," said Newt. "Just my sister, actually."

"Your sister!" said Little Newt excitedly. "You must have tons and tons of siblings, right? Who always hang out with you and watch your back when you need it?"

Newt frowned, a little confused at the direction the conversation was taking. "Not really. There were only two dragons in our brood, Sepia and I."

"Oh," said Little Newt. "But I thought MudWings were really social and had huge sib groups, or something?"

Something twinged inside of Newt. "Yeah, not all of them," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," said Little Newt, sheepishly.

"It's fine," said Newt. "There's nothing to apologize for."

"I wish I had a sib group," she Little Newt, dreamily. "We don't really _do _siblings in the rainforest. But I would love to have a group of close dragons that I could just talk to whenever, you know?"

"Really?" said Newt. "I thought RainWings were friends with everybody_._"

"Um," said Little Newt. "Not all of them."

She smiled, and this time, Newt put on a small smile in return.

"Newt!" came Jambu's distant voice, making both of them jump. "What's taking so long? I want a mango!"

"Oh, I have to go," said Little Newt, frantically picking up mangos. "It was nice to meet you, Newt!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," said Newt.

The RainWing flew down the corridor, quickly passing out of sight. After a moment, Newt continued toward the academy's exit. What an inconvenience that was.

Then again, she really did have a headache. Maybe, after hunting with Sepia, if her head was _really _acting up, she could stop by the RainWings' guest chambers for some medical assistance. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.


	42. The Jade Winglet Learns Math

Armadillo slammed a ruler on the table, making everyone jump. "Today, we are learning about _negative numbers_."

For a moment, the dragonets sat in silence.

"You mean pessimistic numbers?" said Kinkajou. "Like, oh, I just know this isn't going to add up!"

Moon giggled, while Wren rolled her eyes.

"Negative numbers are _not _a joke, Kinkajou_,_" said Armadillo. She started drawing on the blackboard. "Who is able to tell me the answer?"

The SandWing stepped away, revealing what she had written.

2 - 5 =

"That's not possible," said Peril.

"Why is it not possible?" asked Armadillo.

"If you have two jewels and you take two away then you have NO jewels left so you can't take away any more," Peril said. "Duh."

"How about this?" Armadillo made a few more marks on the blackboard.

2 - 5 = -3

There was another moment of silence in the classroom.

"That's just dumb," said Peril.

"I get it," said Qibli. "It's like debt. If you only have two silver pieces, but you need to pay five, then you owe three pieces."

"Yes, of course," said Armadillo. "That is very good, Qibli."

"Even at Jade Mountain Academy, there's no avoiding taxes," he said wistfully.

"Tax evasion is _not _a joke, Qibli," muttered Kinkajou in an impression of the SandWing teacher.

"Quiet, Kinkajou," snapped Armadillo. She pointed at Turtle with her ruler. "Turtle! You are on the second basement floor of Queen Thorn's palace. You go up six flights of steps. Now you are on what floor?"

"Uh..." Turtle counted on his claws. "I'm on the fourth floor?"

"Yes, that is exactly the case," said Armadillo. On the board, she wrote:

-2 + 6 = 4

"Excuse me," said Hoarfrost. "What's the point of all this?"

"Yeah," said Turtle. "I'm a little lost."

"I am _getting_ to that," growled Armadillo. She started drawing a number line on the board. "Consider the numbers above zero, and the numbers below zero, and zero as well. These are called _integers_."

"What if I had two papayas," said Kinkajou, "and I subtracted five of them into my stomach. Mmm! Infinite papayas!"

"I don't think that's how it works, Kinkajou," said Moon.

"I still think it's dumb," Peril huffed. "I could figure out all of that stuff _without_ using negative numbers_._"

"When does this class end again?" said Wren.

"Dragonets!" roared Armadillo, shocking the students into silence. "You are in charge of the Outclaw outpost at Wabi and your best spy tells you the Enclave will send a raiding party of ten at sundown. You have twenty Outclaws total, but three of them are wounded, six are on a mission, and fifteen will be sent to intercept the Enclave. How many dragons are left to defend the outpost?"

She wrote furiously on the blackboard. "Twenty minus three wounded is seventeen. Seventeen minus six missing is eleven. Eleven minus fifteen fighting is negative four. The answer is: You must send a messenger to Thorn to request at least four dragons for backup before sundown!" She slammed the chalk onto the table and snarled, "Are there any questions?!"

"Ohhh," said Kinkajou. "I get it now."

"Yeah, that makes sense," said Peril.

Armadillo let out a deep breath. "Very good." She grabbed a stack of papers from her desk. "Now we will do worksheets."


	43. Futureseer

Futureseer's future sight was broken.

At least, that's what all the teachers at the NightWing academy said. No one could explain the visions he received. None of the Queen's seers could see such a thing. They told him his imagination must be overactive.

Futureseer tossed and turned on his shallow bed. Every night, it was the same: a land covered in rocks and magma, lifeless, with no dragons in sight. Fire bursting from the ground and scorching the earth over and over. The entire planet suffocating under immense heat.

Futureseer's jolted awake, covered in sweat. It was still bright outside, which meant he had woken up too early. This was nothing new; he couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a full night's sleep. There was a small brown bird on his bedpost, which had probably entered through the open window.

"Get out of here," muttered Futureseer.

The little winged trained a curious eye on him.

"I said shoo!"

The bird twittered cheerfully.

"Dumb bird," said Futureseer. "You don't even know the world is going to end."

He uncurled himself and got out of bed, waving his talons at the bird to startle it from its perch. It flew in a circle around the room, chirping frantically, before finding its way outside. Futureseer followed it to the window. Outside, tough little trees grew in the craggy valley of the City of Night. Cicadas chirped loudly, and the sky was purple with sunset. The brown bird fluttered through the trees, basking in the last of the sunlight. Futureseer stood there for a while, watching it.

"Futureseer?" said someone from outside the door.

He sighed. "Yes, come in."

His mother, Starlight, peeked around the door. "You're up early," she said.

"So are you," muttered Futureseer.

"More bad dreams?"

Futureseer nodded.

Starlight walked to his side. "I have good news, Futureseer," she said. "I've been talking to the scientists at the palace. They said there are treatments that can inhibit a dragon's dreams! They're mostly experimental, and they're... well... they're pretty expensive. But maybe they'll finally help you sleep."

"Great."

Starlight rubbed Futureseer's shoulder. "You're such a strong young dragonet."

"Okay, mom," Futureseer said, wearily.

"I'll get breakfast ready," she said. "Come down soon before it gets cold, okay?"

"Okay."

Starlight smiled and hurried out the room, leaving Futureseer alone. He couldn't bring himself to be optimistic about this "treatment." It wasn't the first remedy they had tried, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Besides, even if they solved his insomnia, they could never take away his knowledge of that horrible, red future.

It seemed like no one in the entire City of Night believed him, but Futureseer knew that his visions were more than bad dreams. They were too vivid to be anything but real. His future sight wasn't broken; in fact, it worked too well. He must have been seeing a thousand years in the future. Maybe a million.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the windowsill once more, watching the bird settle down in a small nest. At least the end of the world was a long time away.


	44. Kira's Nightjar

Moon nervously peeked out onto the astronomy platform. It was a cold, clear night, and the stars were shining in full force. Jade Mountain Academy's new telescope sat under a tarp. It belonged to Andromeda, the new Astronomy teacher, who had brought it with him from the rainforest. Moon quickly uncovered the telescope and dragged it into position, then adjusted the focus the way Andromeda had taught her. When it was ready, she peered into the eyepiece.

There they were. Bright stars against the dark sky, so much nearer and brighter than ever before. They were the same constellations that Moon had grown up with in the rainforest, but now she had a name for each of them. She slowly turned the telescope, breathing the names as she went. _Cephus. Lyra. The Pleiades._ She liked the shape of the words in her mouth, as if she was recalling her childhood friends.

She focused the telescope on Kira's Nightjar, a constellation that Andromeda had mentioned that day in class. In her head, she traced its outstretched wings and pointed beak. How many other NightWings had done the same?

"Moon?"

Moon spun around to see Andromeda, standing at the entrance with a quizzical expression.

"Andromeda!" she yelped. "I'm so sorry! I just wanted to use the telescope!"

The old NightWing clucked disapprovingly. "You recall that the astronomy platform is off limits without my supervision, yes?"

"Yes," said Moon. "I know this isn't an excuse, but I couldn't sleep, and I really wanted to see the stars up close again. They're so beautiful." She hesitated. "Please don't tell Tsunami."

"It'll be our secret," said Andromeda. "But do tell me if you want to use the telescope in the future. That old thing is quite irreplaceable."

"Thank you." Moon gave a sigh of relief. "I will."

He gestured to the telescope. "May I?"

Moon nodded and stepped out of the way.

Andromeda lumbered forward and hunched over to look into the eyepiece. "Ah," he said. "Kira's Nightjar. Do you like that one?"

"I think it's fascinating," said Moon. "And it has such a pretty name."

"Has anyone told you the story?" said Andromeda.

"There's a story?"

Andromeda sighed. "I suppose there's not a lot of NightWings that remember, nowadays," he said. "Just old farts like me." He sat down on the stone platform with a grunt. "It's a good story. I suppose you know of the ancient NightWing goddesses?"

"I think so," said Moon. "There was one for each moon, right? Kira, Zena, and Mar."

Andromeda nodded. "That's right. Well, as the legend goes, Kira, the goddess of the mind, once had a lover named Starshaper. Starshaper was a mortal, but she had future sight, and believed herself the most powerful seer in existence. She would boast and boast, claiming that she could foresee even the plans of the gods."

He chuckled and shook his head. "That rubbed Zena, the goddess of the future, the wrong way. Eventually, Zena got fed up with Starshaper's boasting and decided to punish her for her impudence. Frightened, Starshaper asked Kira to protect her, and Kira turned her lover into a nightjar to hide her from Zena's wrath.

"When Zena's back was turned, Starshaper – as a nightjar – tried to fly to Kira's moon, so they could be together forever. But alas, Zena spotted her and cursed her to be trapped in the stars for all of eternity. And from then on, whenever Kira wept for her lover, her tears became meteors that showered through the sky."

"That's so sad," said Moon.

"It's tragic," said Andromeda. "Like many of the ancient NightWing stories."

"Aren't there happy stories too?"

"Of course," said Andromeda. "Sad ones, happy ones, everything in between. My mate used to say, no matter what you're looking for, you can find it in the stars."

Moon smiled. "Your mate sounds like a very wise dragon."

Andromeda guffawed. "Oh, he was an idiot. But I suppose he might have been onto something there."

"Yes," said Moon, looking up at the night sky. "I think so."

* * *

Author's Note

This story was originally based on a headcanon about NightWing deities by skylineoftheskywings on Tumblr. I wrote this story as a reply to their post, but their account has since disappeared, so I couldn't ask for permission to upload it here. I decided to remove the elements I took from their headcanon, out of respect, but the concept of NightWings having one deity for each moon is still theirs. Skyline, if you're out there, thank you!


	45. Round-Pyrrhia Conspiracy Theories

Late at night, Thrush was still awake, a mess of scrolls and calculations strewn across his desk.

"I've finally got it," he said, in an awestruck voice.

"What is it this time?" said Boto groggily, sticking his head out of his hammock.

Thrush furiously scribbled on a star diagram in front of him. "IceWing and NightWings astronomers have disagreed on the position of the constellations for centuries. Each tribe always claims the other is in error. But why do IceWing star maps _always_ show more stars to the north than those of the NightWings?"

"I don't know," said Boto. "Someone kept bumping the telescope?"

"Furthermore, during a lunar eclipse, the shadow that covers the moon _always_ has a circular shape." Thrush lit an oil lamp with a plume of fire, then held a ceramic plate in front of it. "According to Stargazer, an ancient NightWing astronomer, Pyrrhia is situated on a circular disk. Watch the shadow on the wall. If Pyrrhia, that is, the plate, is directly aligned with the moon, it casts a circular shadow. But if it's off-center..." Thrush tilted the plate. "The shadow should be elliptical. How can that be?"

"Beats me," said Boto.

"This is the best part," continued Thrush, getting more and more excited. "From Jade Mountain Academy to Thorn's stronghold is about five hundred miles." He grabbed a compass and drew a circle onto the paper, then started marking it with lines and numerals. "A vertical stick at noon casts no shadow at Thorn's stronghold, but the same stick casts a shadow of about seven degrees at Jade Mountain. It's a trigonometric paradox that's been debated for centuries. But the answer is staring us right in our faces!"

"Okay," says Boto. "And that would be...?"

"Isn't it obvious, Boto? _Pyrrhia is round!"_

Thrush looked at his clawmate with an eager grin.

Boto sighed and collapsed back into his hammock. "Go to sleep, Thrush. We have class tomorrow."

"Fine," said Thrush, blowing out the oil lamp. "But Pyrrhia _is _round, and I have the proof right here."

"Sure," said Boto. "And tomorrow you'll tell me that Pyrrhia is slowly getting warmer."


	46. Fruit Bat's Triumph

"What's that smell?" said Jambu.

"Oh no," Liana said, rolling her eyes. "Here comes Fruit Bat."

"She must still be trying to make herself smell like flowers," said Jambu. He sniffed the air. "But this time it actually smells... _good._"

Fruit Bat landed on the platform, her scales a bright blue-purple. With her came a delicate scent of lavender. "Hello, my subjects," she said, grandiosely.

"You're not queen anymore, Fruit Bat," pointed out Liana.

"What's that amazing smell?" said Jambu, breathing in deeply. "Is that you?"

Fruit Bat swatted at a bee buzzing around her head. "Indeed, Jambu. Behold! The final result of my aromatic experiments!"

"That's awesome!" said Jambu. "How did you do it?"

"My secret procedure can never be revealed to the public," said Fruit Bat, solemnly. She flapped her wings, trying to scare away the bees that were darting around her body. "Shoo! Go away!"

"Does it have to do with the bees?" said Jambu.

"The bees... are not part of the procedure."

Fruit Bat hopped across the platform, followed by a small swarm of bees. Liana watched with an amused expression.

"They said it couldn't be done," said Fruit Bat.

"No one said that," Liana interjected.

"But finally, after decades of work, I have prevailed! I have the most wonderful scent of all the RainWings in the—" Fruit Bat sputtered as a bee landed on her lips. Dozens of the fuzzy insects were swarming around her now.

"Smells like lavender. Looks like lavender. Thus, lavender," noted Liana.

"I'll be back!" shouted Fruit Bat, leaping off of the platform. The swarm of bees followed eagerly after her.

"Now she can be a queen bee," said Jambu, in a perfectly serious tone. He looked at Liana. Then they both burst out laughing.


	47. Waiting for the Mail (Part 1)

Pronghorn sat by a dusty tent at the edge of Blaze's refugee camp, watching the pale blue sky. Two young SandWings landed nearby.

"Hey, dork," said Golden, holding a leather-bound ball under his wing. "Wanna play wingball?"

"Nah, I'm waiting for something."

"Expecting a letter from your boyfriend?" Namib poked Pronghorn in the side.

"He's not my boyfriend." Pronghorn shoved Namib away.

"Suuure."

"We just met once," he protested. "And he's a _SkyWing. _They were our enemies in the war."

"Pronghorn, think fast!" said Golden.

Pronghorn recoiled as the ball hit him in the head. "Hey!" He spread his wings indignantly. "Stop doing that!"

Golden scooped up the ball and soared away. "Come and make me, dork!"

"Come on, let's see if Sandpiper wants to play," said Namib.

The two SandWings flew off. Pronghorn folded his wings with a huff and continued his watch.


	48. Waiting for the Mail (Part 2)

Soon, Golden and Namib returned, with Sandpiper trailing behind them.

"Hey, dork," said Golden. "Check out this giant scorpion we found!" He showed off a squirming black scorpion that he held by the tail.

"Huh, cool," said Pronghorn. "Looks like an emperor scorpion."

"Give it a kiss." Golden thrust the creature toward Pronghorn's face.

"Argh!" Pronghorn flailed and backed away, nearly launching the scorpion into the air. "Golden!"

Golden snickered. "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

"He's probably jealous because it has a more dangerous stinger than him," said Namib.

Pronghorn coiled his malformed tail around his legs. "My stinger is plenty dangerous."

"Uh-huh," said Namib.

"Prick yourself on it, if it's so safe."

"I'll pass."

"We just saw your boyfriend by the oasis," said Golden, casually.

Pronghorn perked up. "Peregrine? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," said Namib. "He was talking about how much he missed his funny little SandWing."

"...Really?"

"He said he wants to smooch you so badly." Golden puckered up his mouth. "Mwah, mwah, mwah!"

"You're pulling my tail, aren't you."

Golden cackled and flew into the sky. "You're so gullible, Pronghorn!" Namib followed with a wide grin.

Sandpiper hesitantly approached Pronghorn. "Hi, Pronghorn," he said.

"Hey."

"Did your letter get here yet?"

"Not yet." Pronghorn looked up at the sky. "The sun's getting pretty low. I think the carrier should get here soon."

"Oh, okay," said Sandpiper. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

"Sandpiper!" yelled Golden. "Come on!"

"I'm coming!" said the little SandWing, flapping into the air. Pronghorn watched them leave, then settled down to wait again.


	49. Waiting for the Mail (Part 3)

When the sun set, Pronghorn was still by the tent, gazing up at the evening stars. He'd been there since sunrise, and no carrier had arrived. His grandmother would be expecting him home soon. Maybe the mail just wasn't coming this month.

He had been so ecstatic to find out that mail day coincided with his hatching day this month. Imagine if the letter arrived on the day he turned six. What a present that would be!

A SkyWing crash-landed nearby in a plume of sand.

"Peregrine?!" Pronghorn raced over to pull him out of the sand dune.

The red dragon spat sand out of his mouth. _"Ptuh._ Pronghorn! Your friends told me I'd find you here!" He hugged Pronghorn, catching him by surprise.

"Oh, cool," said Pronghorn, uncomfortably. "What are you doing in the Kingdom of Sand?!"

"Sorry?" Peregrine released Pronghorn and pointed at his ear. "Bad ear."

"I said, what are you doing in the Kingdom of Sand?"

"Oh, I brought you mail!" Peregrine dug through his messenger bag and pulled out an envelope with an important-looking seal on it. "It got sent to the SkyWing post by accident. I volunteered to fly it over."

Pronghorn's eyes widened as he took the letter. The envelope had _Jade Mountain Academy _written on the top, with his name underneath. "Is this...?"

"Yep! And I got one too!" Peregrine waved another envelope, this one already open.

Pronghorn tore open the seal and read the letter, eyes darting back and forth. It looked like it had been claw-written by Princess Sunny herself. Pronghorn could barely contain his excitement.

"Oh snakes, oh snakes, oh snakes," he said. "I got in, I got in!"

Peregrine grinned. "And not only that, they made us–"

"THEY MADE US CLAWMATES!" exclaimed Pronghorn, reading the last paragraph. "I'm so excited! Are you excited?!" His entire body wiggled in happiness.

"Duh, I'm excited!" said Peregrine. "I'm gonna learn everything there is to know about medicine."

"Medicine? I thought you worked as a messenger."

Peregrine smirked. "Eh, flying fast is cool and all, but what I _really _want to do is save lives."

The sound of wingbeats made them both look up. Golden, Namib, and Sandpiper landed with a thud.

"Oh, it's my stupid friends," muttered Pronghorn.

"Hey, dork," said Golden, striding forward. "Having fun with your boyfriend?"

"We're just friends," said Peregrine, cheerfully.

Golden scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Peregrine gave Pronghorn a quizzical look.

Namib stepped in front of Golden with a loud cough. "Peregrine, right?"

"That's me!" said Peregrine.

"I'm Namib. This is Golden and Sandpiper."

"Awesome," said Peregrine. "Nice to meet you."

Namib scratched the back of his head. "I've, uh, I've never met a SkyWing before."

"Oh yeah?" Peregrine twisted around and stretched his wings out as far as they would go. "Get a taste of this! Largest wingspan of any tribe in Pyrrhia."

"Ooh," said Sandpiper, quietly.

Golden snorted. "Okay, so you have big wings. Big deal."

"Fastest top speed, too," said Peregrine. "In a dive, we can go a hundred fifty miles per hour, easy. Once, I hit one-eighty!"

"No way," said Golden. "No dragon can go one-eighty. That's impossible."

"Wanna bet?" said Peregrine. "I knew someone who broke two hundred. She could fly a lap around the queen's palace in under a minute."

"Golden's right," said Namib. "A dragon can't go that fast. It's just air of dynamics."

"You mean aerodynamics?"

Sandpiper approached Pronghorn as the others bickered. "Hey, Pronghorn... What's that?"

"It's my acceptance letter!" Pronghorn proudly showed it off.

"Oh, wow," murmured Sandpiper. "Does that mean you're leaving?"

Pronghorn paused. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sandpiper kicked his talons. "That's too bad."

"Yeah. Too bad."

Pronghorn realized the others had gone silent.

"Sorry to see you go, dude," said Namib.

"Whatever," said Pronghorn. "I'll visit. Oh, and I'll write lots of letters. I'm good at that."

"Pfft. It's not like he's leaving _right_ _now_," said Golden. "Right?"

"Right," said Pronghorn.

"In that case, now that you have your dumb letter, let's play wingball." Namib jumped into the air. "It sucks with just three dragons. And Sandpiper's no good anyway."

"I can't," said Pronghorn. "My grandma is going to talk my ear off for staying out so late."

"Come on, just one game!"

Pronghorn stared at the ground. He could already imagine the scolding he was bound to receive. But... he had been accepted to Jade Mountain Academy. There was no telling when he'd have another chance to play wingball with the others.

"Okay, fine. But just one game." He looked uncertainly at Peregrine. "Do you want to play?"

"Actually, I gotta head back," said Peregrine. "I want to get back to the Sky Kingdom by dawn, and that's a long journey. Even for me."

"Oh, that's okay."

"But, one last thing!" Peregrine fished around in his messenger bag and pulled out a dinged-up wooden monocular. He brushed some loose sand off of it, then offered it to Pronghorn. "Happy hatching day!"

Pronghorn took the little telescope reverently. "Wow... Where did you get this?"

"Found it in a dump in the Sky Kingdom. I remembered you like astronomy stuff."

Pronghorn had always wanted a telescope of his own. He held the monocular up to his eye, focusing it on Peregrine's face. Despite the nicks on the glass, the magnification worked perfectly.

"Like what you see?" Peregrine winked.

Pronghorn missed the joke completely. "It works great!"

"Awesome. Now, I'd better go."

Pronghorn lowered the monocular. "See you soon, Peregrine. And... thank you. For everything."

"No problem, clawmate." Peregrine grinned, donned his bag, and flapped into the air. "See you soon. The rest of you better take care of him while I'm gone!"

In a flash, Peregrine was off.

After a pause, Golden said, "Your boyfriend sucks."

"Whatever." Pronghorn carefully re-folded his letter and put it in the envelope.

"I didn't know it was your hatching day," said Sandpiper.

"It's okay, it's not a big deal."

Namib lifted into the air. "Come on, last one to the wingball court is a rotten cactus!"


	50. Flood Shenanigans

Outside of Jade Mountain Academy, thunder crashed raucously and rain hammered the stone. A steady stream of water flowed through the academy's antechamber, surging down the hallways to pool up in the depths of the caves.

"Okay, is everyone here?" said Sepia over the storm. She counted the heads of the Silver Winglet. "Changbai, Fearless, Anemone, Thrush, Ostrich... Boto? Has anyone seen Boto?"

"Maybe he's asleep," suggested Ostrich.

"Who could sleep through this kind of weather?" said Anemone.

"He's probably fine," said Fearless. "It's just a little bit of water, right?"

"More than a bit," said Sepia. "Clay told me all the classrooms in the lowest hallway are flooded already. He'd better get out of there soon."

Thrush gasped. "Wait! What about the Astronomy classroom?"

Sepia furrowed her eye ridges. "I'm not sure. It's pretty deep in the mountain, so the water might have reached it already."

Thrush hesitated, then shot down the hallway. "I'll be right back!" he yelled.

"Thrush! Get back here!"

There was no way Thrush was letting the storm ruin his astronomy work. Not after his paper was almost done. His rigorous, indubitable proof that Pyrrhia was a sphere, complete with comparisons of five different star charts and first-talon sketches of last month's lunar eclipse.

Thrush turned a corner and saw that the hallway containing the Astronomy classroom was already half-filled with water. He stopped short and stared in horror.

_All of that work... for nothing._

Then Boto splashed his way out of the classroom, awkwardly holding an armful of scrolls above the water line.

"Boto!" yelled Thrush. "Is that–"

"Don't talk to me right now," muttered Boto, marching past his clawmate. "The storm woke me up from my nap and I am _cold _and _wet _and _miserable_."

"Three moons," said Thrush, in disbelief. "My astronomy work. But I thought you didn't believe me?"

"Of course I don't believe that Pyrrhia is round," snapped Boto. "But I knew you wouldn't stop complaining for _months _if you lost this stupid paper."

Thrush splashed through the water and wrapped his clawmate in a tight hug, catching him by surprise. "Thank you so much, Boto!"

Boto coughed awkwardly. "Yeah, whatever. Don't mention it."


	51. More Flood Shenanigans

"Has anyone seen Soothsayer?" yelled Mindreader over the thunderous rain.

"Your pet goldfish?" said Pronghorn. "Ten gold says it's in there." He pointed into the rising floodwater.

Mindreader sighed and sat down on the puddly ground with a _plop_. "Then I'm probably never finding her again."

"I'll take a look if you want," said Snail, who was wading through the water nearby.

"Oh, that would be fantastic!" said Fearless. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Snail dove into the murky water, plunging the world into cool silence. She lit her glowing scales to help her see, then swam down a flooded hallway.

Jade Mountain Academy was a lot eerier with the lights extinguished. It was like a strange underwater cave. A school of lost pencils and algae-like scrolls floated along the current. A leather bag undulated like a jellyfish.

Snail checked the Copper Winglet caves. The chairs and pillows were floating off the ground, and Coconut's hammock drifted around in an eddy. Soothsayer's aquarium was empty. After a quick look around the other sleeping caves, Snail continued her search down the hallway.

She eventually found herself in the deepest tunnels of Jade Mountain. She noticed a light dancing on the walls, as if bioluminescent coral had sprouted up overnight. She turned the corner to discover the light source: Turtle, swimming around with his scales lit up.

_Turtle,_ said Snail in Aquatic. _What are you doing down here?_

_Just thought I'd go for a swim,_ he responded. S_ince classes are cancelled, presumably._

_Not a bad idea. It is peaceful down here._

_Oh, Snail! You'll never believe this, but I found a little orange fish swimming around in the math classroom. Not a care in the world. Crazy, right?_

Snail raised her eye ridges. _Really?_

_Yep. It was tasty, too. I wonder how it got into the academy?_

_It's a mystery._


	52. The JMA Student Art Festival (Part 1)

Marsh sat with Coconut, Boto, and Siamang in a sunny meadow, drawing on a piece of parchment. His tongue was stuck out in concentration. In front of him was a squat tree, gnarled with age, with clumps of blue flowers growing around it.

Marsh held up the paper and compared it to his sketch. It wasn't very good. The proportion of the branches was all wrong. With a sigh, Marsh crumpled up the paper and tossed it into a pile of discarded drawings.

"Marsh, what's the rest of your winglet doing for the art project?" said Boto.

"Um, I think Snail and Alba are doing something with music," said Marsh. "Pronghorn is making a wood carving, and Peregrine is doing a painting. Mindreader and Coconut are cooking something up, but they won't tell me what." He cast an accusing look at Coconut, but he and Siamang were reclining in the sun with their eyes closed.

"This assignment is stupid," grumbled Boto.

"Well, at least it's more fun than History," said Marsh, though he secretly agreed.

"I didn't come to JMA to learn how to _draw_," said Boto. He picked at the grass in the meadow. "RainWings don't draw, anyway. It's not our thing."

"You must have _some _sort of art in the rainforest, right?"

Booto shrugged. "We have dances, if that counts. RainWing dancers change their colors in midair to make patterns with each other. Or sometimes they tell stories with their scales."

"Why don't you do that for your project?" said Marsh.

"Uh, do I look like a dancer to you?" Boto gestured to himself. "It takes _years_ learn how to do that sort of thing."

"Oh. I see," said Marsh.

"I could teach you," said Siamang, lifting her head.

Boto raised a brow. "I didn't know you could dance."

"Well, I took lessons before coming here," said Siamang. "I'm not a professional or anything."

Mindreader flapped over the trees, looking excited. "Coconut!" she said. "I found one! A whole flock of them, actually!"

Coconut blinked his eyes open. "Huh?"

"I said, I found a flock of you-know-whats. Hurry up before they fly away!"

"Oh! Okay." Coconut got to his talons. "Hey, Marsh, I'll be right back."

"What are you guys doing?" said Marsh, confused.

"You'll see," said Coconut, before taking to the sky.

Marsh watched them fly away unhappily. Usually his clawmate shared everything with him. What was so important that he had to keep it a secret?

"Come on, Boto, it'll be fun," said Siamang, dragging Boto off of the ground. "Do you know how to do a pirouette?"

"No?"

Marsh watched in amusement as Siamang demonstrated the midair move to Boto. He grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and started sketching the two RainWings.

"Like this?" Boto made a clumsy rotation, flapping heavily to keep himself airborn. "Moons, I feel so dumb."

"That's not bad," said Siamang. "Try to align your body more vertically."

Marsh gave the rough lines of his sketch a critical look. It was already looking better than the tree. Maybe Arid would let him borrow her watercolors; they would be perfect for the RainWings' mottled colors.


	53. The JMA Student Art Festival (Part 2)

Marsh watched Boto and Siamang spin gracefully through the air, mirroring each others' movements. The color of their scales shifted from yellow to orange to red, creating the impression of a bursting sun. Boto's face was set in concentration as he followed his more experienced counterpart. Nearby, Snail played a lively beat on an alligator-skin drum.

The routine ended with a final twirl, and the two RainWings split apart. Marsh applauded enthusiastically. "Woohoo!"

"Can we take a break?" said Siamang, landing heavily on the ground. "Geez, I'm exhausted."

"I guess," said Boto. "But I want to do a few more runs through afterward. If we're going to be showing this to Sunny tomorrow, I want it to look good."

"Don't worry," said Marsh. "It looks great!"

As it turns out, Boto was a natural at dancing. In just a week, he'd picked up a complicated routine that still blew Marsh's mind. Marsh had never seen the grumpy RainWing look like he was having so much fun.

Marsh's own project art had not been so successful. He glanced at his blobby watercolor of two RainWings, which was drying nearby in the sun. It looked like a hatchling's first finger painting exercise.

"You know that we're presenting this to the whole school, not just Sunny, right?" said Siamang.

It took Boto a few moments to process that. "WHAT?!"

Snail shook her head from behind the drum. "You didn't pay attention to the announcement, did you?"

"Blazing moons," yelled Boto, "you're telling me _every student at JMA _is going to watch us do this?!"

"And the staff, and the visiting artists," corrected Siamang. She took a long drink from the pond.

"Why didn't anyone think to mention this earlier?!"

"Everyone knew but you, Boto," said Snail.

As the others argued, Marsh stared into the pond, where tadpoles wiggled through the muddy water. He couldn't shake the feeling of being left out, though he couldn't put a talon on why. He had lots of friends – more than he ever had in the Mud Kingdom – and his classes were interesting.

But it was almost the end of their first year of school, and what did he really have to show for it? Thrush, Moon, and Pronghorn were quickly becoming master astronomers. Newt and Peregrine had set out to change lives through medicine. Apparently, Turtle was getting a book published. Even his own wingmates were discovering cool new talents. Meanwhile, Marsh felt like he was just taking up space.

_Maybe I'll find something I'm good at, _he thought, trying to stay optimistic. _Peregrine will come up to me one day and be like, "Want to try underwater basket weaving?" and I'll be a natural at that._

He looked over at Coconut, who was collecting colorful pebbles by the stream. His clawmate didn't seem to have any special talents to speak of, unless you counted napping. But he never seem bothered by it. What was his secret?

Marsh walked over to his clawmate. "Hey, Coconut," he said, rubbing the back of his own neck. "Um, how's your mystery project going?"

The blue RainWing looked up from the rocks. "Oh, it's almost done!"

"Is there anything I can do to help? I already finished my project."

"Uhhh, I don't know." Coconut scratched his head. "I don't think I can show you yet. But me and Mindreader are working really hard on it."

"Oh. I see," said Marsh.

"Oh! Want to help me collect rocks?"

Marsh sighed. "No thanks."

Coconut shrugged. "That's okay."

Marsh watched, dejected, as his clawmate continued down the stream. Maybe Marsh really was useless. Even Coconut didn't want his help.


	54. The JMA Student Art Festival (Part 3)

On the morning of the festival, Jade Mountain Academy was decked out with student-made paintings, sculptures, needlework, jewelry, and everything in between. Artisans from all different tribes had been invited to give talks later in the day, and the music had been set up for student performances. Everything was ready for Siamang and Boto's dance.

Just as soon as they found Boto.

"You checked his sleeping cave, right?" said Snail.

"Of COURSE we checked his sleeping cave!" said Marsh. "That's the first place we looked!"

"Try the other ones, too," said Snail. "Maybe he just fell asleep somewhere. He's a RainWing, after all."

"Okay, but he's running out of time!" Marsh dashed off.

_How could anyone fall asleep on the day of a performance like that? If I were Boto, I would be too nervous to stand still!_

Marsh eventually burst into his own sleeping cave, the very last place he'd thought to look, and found Boto and Coconut sitting by Coconut's hammock.

"Hi, Marsh," said Coconut.

"Boto!" yelled Marsh. "Where have you been? The performance is starting!"

"Already?!" Boto leaped to his talons. "Oh dart frogs, I haven't even warmed up!" He hesitated. "You know, I'm not even that good. Maybe Siamang would be better off without me. Right, Coconut?"

"Oh, I guess," said Coconut.

"No!" cried Marsh. "This is important!" He tried to push Boto out of the room.

"It's just a dumb dance," muttered Boto. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is _too_ a big deal!" said Marsh. "You're super great at dancing! I wish was as talented as you! Come on!"

"Geez, okay, okay," said Boto. "I'll go."

He headed for the exit, then hesitated again. "Is the _entire school _really there?"

"GO!" said Marsh.

Boto dashed out of the room, and Marsh sighed in relief. His heart was racing, almost as if he was the one giving the performance.

"I think you're super great and talented too," said Coconut.

"Oh." Marsh ducked his head. He knew Coconut was just saying it to be nice. "Um, thanks. We should probably go to the music cave now."

"Actually, uh, I wanted to show you me and Mindreader's project," he said. "If you want."

"But the performance is about to start!" Marsh tried to meet Coconut's gaze, but Coconut avoided his eyes. He looked nervous, his scales an interesting mixture of gold and pale blue. What could he be so worried about? "Well, I guess we can take a minute..."

"Okay, great," said Coconut. "Um, follow me!"

Marsh followed Coconut out of the cave, curious. The two dragonets passed through the antechamber, where art exhibits crowded the walls, including his own awful watercolor. It felt out of place, hanging in the same room as Arid's masterful cactus painting and Ostrich's beautiful embroidery. But Sunny insisted that he display it anyway.

"It's in here," said Coconut as they entered the library. He led Marsh past the scroll racks to the reading corner, where dragonets often sat on a cushion or a pile of grass with their scrolls. He nervously stepped aside. A mural made out of tiny, colorful stones had been installed on the floor.

"What is this?" said Marsh, in awe.

The mural depicted a white bird with a long neck, two long legs, and a large, orange eye, standing against a background of blue and yellow stones. The sunlight shone through the leaf-covered windows and lit each pebble brightly.

"It's a crane," murmured Coconut. "For your sister."

Marsh stared at the mural, unable to speak. Though it was clearly the work of amateurs, he thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Crane would have loved it. She would have laughed and showered Coconut and Mindreader with compliments and shown all of her friends in the village.

"Mindreader said it's a type of NightWing art, or something," said Coconut. "The crane was my idea." He tapped his talons together. "So, uh... do you like it?"

Marsh flung his wings around Coconut, catching him by surprise. "I love it," he said with tears in his eyes. "It's amazing. Thank you so much, Coconut."

"You're welcome," said Coconut, his scales swimming with yellow and lavender. He returned the hug gently with his wings.

"Oh moons!" Marsh released his clawmate and wiped his eyes. "We're going to miss Boto and Siamang! Come on, we have to go!"

"Right," said Coconut. "Let's go."

Marsh ran through the library, with Coconut close behind. He felt a little giddy and a little out of breath. He couldn't stop thinking about Crane. Sweet Crane, who had given her life to protect her siblings. Now she would be immortalized forever.

Who needed a special talent, anyway, when he had a friend like Coconut? Who needed paintings and dances and books? At Jade Mountain Academy he had found a second family. And that's all he really needed.


	55. Astronomy Club

"Welcome, everyone, to the inaugural meeting of the JMA Astronomy Club," said Thrush, standing at the teacher's desk. "I'm so glad you could all make it. To start, we will fill out this short questionnaire and pre-quiz to decide on future club activities. Pronghorn, could you please pass these around?"

Thrush handed a tall stack of parchments to Pronghorn.

"Uh, Thrush," said Pronghorn. "There's no one here but you, me, and Moon."

Moon waved from her seat in the front row.

"I know," said Thrush, looking dejected. "But I worked really hard on this questionnaire."

"Let's just ask Andromeda if we can use the telescope," said Pronghorn, putting down the papers. "That's why we're all here, anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Thrush, rolling his eyes. "Though, personally, I'm more interested in studying the upcoming conjunction of Venus with Jupiter."

Pronghorn snickered. "You're such a nerd."

A few minutes later, Moon arrived on the astronomy platform, where Pronghorn was peering through Andromeda's telescope. Thrush sat nearby, scribbling on a scroll. Two half-moons shined down brightly on the rock ledge.

"Hey, Thrush," said Moon. "I filled out your questionnaire."

"Oh!" Thrush took the parchment from her. "Thank you. Your responses will be recorded and duly considered."

Moon smiled. "I didn't know half the stuff on the quiz. Where did you find the questions about planetary revolutions?"

"Starflight showed me some scrolls," said Thrush, smiling back. "I can share them with you if you want."

"That would be great."

"Hey guys, come look!" said Pronghorn. "I think I found Mars!"


	56. The Talons of Power Invade JMA

"Sirocco? Rattlesnake?" hissed Qibli. "What in Pyrrhia are you doing at JMA?"

"None of your business, squirt," said Rattlesnake, pushing past her brother.

Sirocco made a face at Qibli before the two hulking, hooded SandWings disappeared down the hallway.

Qibli stood, stunned, for a moment. Whenever his siblings showed up, danger and crime were sure to follow. Were they planning a Talons of Power attack? Were they here as saboteurs? Spies?

Qibli hurried down the hallway after them; he couldn't let them out of his sight. He found Sunny walking in the opposite direction.

"Sunny!" yelled Qibli, screeching to a stop. "There are Talons of Power agents here!"

"You mean your brother and sister?" said Sunny. "They seem like nice dragons. They said they were here on a family visit."

"They're criminals, Sunny!" he said. "They work for the criminal underground of the Scorpion Den!"

Sunny hesitated. "If that's true... I'll tell the others. We'll check on them and make sure the school is secure. I don't want to be hasty though. Maybe they really are just visiting."

Qibli paused, then said, "I have to go." He continued running down the hallway.

_Just visiting, my tail! I have to catch them before they kidnap a student, or plant a bomb, or something even worse!_

He finally caught up to them in Stonemover's chamber.

_Aha! They're after the old NightWing!_

"Awwh, so cute," said Rattlesnake, rubbing her face on a confused-looking fox.

"Come _on_, Rattlesnake," said Sirocco. "Do you really have to do this?"

"Are you not seeing this cutesy-wutesy little foxy face?!" said Rattlesnake. "When I heard this NightWing had a magical pet fox I couldn't NOT come visit!"

Stonemover gave a stone-rattling sigh, but didn't move from his resting place.

Qibli froze, then slowly backed away from the chamber.

_On second thought... maybe I should just leave them alone._


	57. Intellectual Property Rights

"Kinkajou!" shouted Turtle, racing into the library with a scroll in his talons. "Look at this!"

"Huh?" Kinkajou squinted at the scroll. "_Pinkajou and... the Ruby Scepter. An all-new... action-packed... adventure_." She frowned. "Hey, but that's the title of your book !"

"Some SeaWing got a copy of my manuscript and published it as their own," said Turtle, hopping from talon to talon.

"They can't do that!" said Kinkajou. "Right, Starflight? That's stealing, right?"

Starflight scratched his head from his librarian desk. "I guess, technically speaking, it doesn't count as theft unless they steal a physical object."

"What am I going to do?!" Turtle sank to the floor in despair. "I worked on this for a whole year!"

"We won't let them get away with this, Turtle." Kinkajou's scales flashed a righteous purple. "We'll talk to Queen Coral. We'll demand that she make this dragon pay for her crimes!"

She turned the scroll over to read the author's name. "Who's the culprit here, anyway?" She sounded out the name. "_Pa-ne-mo-ne_."

Turtle furrowed his brows. "Panemone?"

Anemone burst out laughing from the hallway, making them both jump. "Three moons, I totally got you!" she said. "It's not real, squid-face!"

"Oh, holy fish." Turtle flopped onto the ground with a huge sigh of relief.

"That's not funny, Anemone!" yelled Kinkajou. "I mean, _Panemone?_ Could you have made it any more obvious?"

She looked back down at the scroll. "Actually, now that I think of it, Pinkajou kind of sounds like..."

"OH I JUST REMEMBERED I GOTTA GO," said Turtle. He snatched the scroll from Kinkajou's talons and shot out of the library. Kinkajou watched with a confused expression, while Anemone continued to cackle on the floor.

* * *

Author's Note

The original title was Dragons Haven't Invented the Concept of Intellectual Property Rights Yet... but that wouldn't fit :P


	58. A Desert Miracle (Part 1)

"How?!" demanded Shimmer.

"I'm sorry," whimpered Mango, pink-rose with embarrassment. "We stopped for sun time and when we woke up, the crates were like this."

All three crates from the delivery cart were smashed, with pomegranate juice everywhere. Some of the wood was burnt, as if the saboteur had lit it on fire afterwards out of spite.

Shimmer fumed. "Mango. Lightning Bug. You can NOT leave the cargo unattended like that!"

"Well, we couldn't skip sun time," muttered Lightning Bug.

"Why didn't you take turns on watch?!"

"I didn't think of that," Mango said mournfully.

Shimmer closed her eyes breathed deeply. Pomegranates were one of her best-selling fruit, and she had been relying on this shipment to refill her waning supply. When was the next delivery scheduled? Not for another month. But with new Enclave tariffs draining her coffers, and with customers growing tired of the novelty of her wares, she couldn't _afford_ to wait a month.

_Sand-licking meat eaters_, thought Shimmer. _They'd rather spend their coins on a burnt goat instead of my delicious fruit._

"So, this might be a bad time," said Lightning Bug. "But does this mean we're not getting paid?"

"Just go!" roared Shimmer, red flashing through her scales. The two other RainWings jumped to their feet and hurried away with the cart.

Shimmer sat on a half-busted crate and rubbed her face. Then she stared at the squat buildings in the outskirts of Possibility. She didn't usually shout like that. RainWings were not naturally shouty dragons, after all. Maybe being the only RainWing in a town full of meat eaters was taking a toll on her psyche.

Shimmer dragged herself to her talons and dug through the crates, searching for any salvageable fruit. Sticky pomegranate juice clung to her talons. Most had been stolen, and the rest destroyed. Perhaps she could use the damaged ones to make pomegranate juice. Yes, a tangy, refreshing drink to relieve the summer sun. Would any dragon be interested in that?

Shimmer sighed. Who was she kidding? Only a miracle could save her now.


	59. A Desert Miracle (Part 2)

"Forgive me for asking, but why don't you just go back home?" said Mayfly. She sat on a cushion in the dimly-lit underground bar. "Unlike some of us, you've got someplace to go back _to_."

Shimmer didn't answer, focusing instead on the dartboard in the distance. She threw a dart with a sharp flick of the wrist.

_Thwack!_

"Bullseye," Shimmer said. "That's an out."

"Oh, come on," said Meerkat, throwing down the chalk scoreboard. "I hardly had a chance!"

"I believe that means you owe me a drink."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Shimmer usually felt a twinge of pride whenever she won a game of darts. She'd been practicing for a long time, and few dragons could challenge her anymore. But it all seemed pointless now. Who cared if she had the best aim in Possibility? What good would that do if she had to tear down her fruit stall?

"Impressive," said Mayfly, as Shimmer sat down on the cushion next to her. Meanwhile, Meerkat grudgingly flagged down the bartender. "Where did you learn to throw darts like that?"

"I used to sneak off as a kid to play darts with the other RainWings," said Shimmer. "And when I say darts, I mean sleep darts. And we were aiming at each other. Missing hurt a lot more."

The scarred MudWing laughed. "Well, I bet the RainWings would make a fortune off of darts if they came here."

The bartender, a burly SandWing, set a glass down in front of Shimmer. Shimmer nodded in thanks.

"You never answered my question," said Mayfly. "You must have friends and family back home, right? Someone who misses you?"

"Maybe," said Shimmer. "They kept trying to stop me from leaving the rainforest. Did everything but tie me up with vines. Said that I'd come crawling back in a week." Shimmer shrugged. "They're probably glad I'm gone."

"I'm sure that's not true." Mayfly gently massaged Shimmer's shoulders. "You've been acting so bitter lately. I'm worried about you."

"That makes two of us." Shimmer took a long draught of her drink.

Mayfly squinted at RainWing's glass. "Shimmer, is that Snake's Spit? I told you how bad those SandWing drinks are for you!"

Shimmer set down the drink and coughed, her throat burning. "Not exactly the worst of my problems at the moment."

"You said you didn't even like the taste," accused Mayfly. "Are you just drinking this to spite me?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Shimmer placed her head on the counter, staring at her distorted reflection in the glass. "Maybe spite is the only thing keeping me in Possibility anymore."

Mayfly sighed. "Okay. Never mind the drink. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Shimmer snorted. "Sure. Diagnose me, doc. What's wrong with me?"

"Shimmer."

"Do I need a bandage to fix my fruit sales? A tonic to give my life meaning again?"

"Shimmer, don't be like that. I'm just trying to help."

Shimmer stayed sullenly silent for a moment. Then she pushed her glass over to Meerkat. "Here, you can have this," she muttered. "I think I need some fresh air.

She shouldered her bag, unfolded her legs, and trudged out of the building, with Mayfly's concerned gaze boring a hole through her scales.


	60. A Desert Miracle (Part 3)

Shimmer soared west over the Kingdom of Sand, her bag around her neck, nothing but cacti and rocky hills for miles around. She let the sun soak into her scales and fill her whole body with warmth that even the tallest sun time platform couldn't match. She wondered why the RainWings didn't live here instead of the rainforest. Maybe the heat would make them too sleepy to get anything done, causing the collapse of their civilization through the sheer power of laziness. It would be just like the RainWings to nap themselves into oblivion.

She looked back at Possibility, a motley collection of buildings straddling the Great Five-Tail River. It was neither part of the Sky Kingdom nor the Kingdom of Sand. It was a place of its own, a place for dragons that didn't have a place. Pyrrhia's "miscellaneous" category. Home to deserters, exiles, hybrids, and even ambitious, lonely RainWings.

Shimmer was the only RainWing in Possibility, as far as she knew. She'd spent most of her savings to establish a fruit-selling stall on the heavily trafficked – and heavily symbolic – white stone bridge. She had been so proud of her little shop. Proud that passersby would see not only wings of sand, sky, mud, sea, night, and ice, but wings of rain as well.

But over time, the novelty of Possibility wore off. Her bed was hard, the air was dry, and her customers constantly underestimated her, just because she was a RainWing. It took so much work to achieve a minimum of comfort that she could have had for free in the rainforest. Even the white stone bridge eventually lost its charm. It was functionally useless, after all. They were _dragons_. They could _fly_ over the river.

What did she even have to prove anymore?

Maybe it was time to go back home. To admit defeat. To say, _yes, this sloth-like lifestyle is really the best I can do_. But she had already become so bitter and distrustful. Would she even fit in with the villagers anymore? Could she ever be a normal RainWing again? Or was she doomed to be an outcast no matter where she want?

Shimmer noticed a copse of trees and glided down to it. What luck; an oasis out in the middle of nowhere. She walked to the small pool, which was deserted except for the buzzing of insects, and knelt down to take a drink. The water was cool and refreshing.

When she lifted her head again, she saw something in the sand nearby. It was a pomegranate, shiny and smooth, with a perfect deep red color. It would have sold for a nice penny at the store. Shimmer frowned and looked around. A group of pomegranate trees were growing at the pool's shore.

Shimmer didn't dare move a muscle, in case it made the trees disappear like a mirage. Eventually, she worked up the courage to approach the tiny grove. She walked around it, as if in a dream. She reached out and picked one of the pomegranates. It was real, tangible, and perfectly ripe. She shoved it in her bag and reached out for another. Soon, her bag was filled to the brim, and there were enough trees to fill five bags more.

What was this? A sign from the moons? A prank pulled by a mischievous spirit? Shimmer set down the bag and started to sob.

Her fruit stall would survive another month. After that, she would just have to wait and see.


	61. Ice-Worms

At the sound of JMA's distant gong, the dragonets in Herbs and Healing started packing their bags, eager to get out into the sun.

"Okay, thanks, guys!" said Clay, over the sound of shuffling papers. "Try to read chapter two of Diseases of Pyrrhia before the next class, please! Have a nice day!"

"Moons, this looks boring," said Peregrine, scanning the scroll on the way out of the classroom. "Ice-worms? What even is that?"

"Oh, you don't know about ice-worms?" said Mindreader, appearing behind him with a sly grin on her face.

Peregrin stopped. "Mmm, nope. Should I?"

"I guess that figures. The IceWings probably don't want the rest of Pyrrhia to know about ice-worms. Not after the _outbreak of 4913_."

"What's that?" said Peregrine, suspiciously.

"Ice-worms aren't like any other parasite, you know," said Mindreader. "When an ice-worm gets inside of an IceWing, it crawls up to her head and _freezes her brain_."

A couple of nearby dragonets raised their ears in curiosity. Even Newt, who never spoke to the other students, was listening in.

"The infected dragon can't move," continued Mindreader. "She can't blink. She can't even call for help. That is, until the incubation period end, and the ice-worm takes control of her body!"

A few dragonets gasped in shock.

"And what does the parasite want?" Mindreader grew in energy as she went. "To find more victims for its offspring! The host becomes nothing but a mindless zombie, bent on biting and converting other dragons." She clenched her talons dramatically. "The Ice Kindom was almost run over by vicious ice-worm zombies in 4913. And only the IceWings who fled to the Kingdom of Sand, where the ice-worms could not survive the heat, lived to tell the tale!"

"Actually," said Newt, unexpectedly, "ice-worms are intestinal parasites that cause abdominal pain and swelling."

Mindreader pouted. "Aww, come on, Newt. Couldn't you play along?"

Newt shrugged, looking self-conscious under the gaze of all the other dragonets. "It's true."

"Heh, you almost had me going, there," said Peregrine, walking down the corridor again. "Cool story, anyway!"

"Oh yeah?" said Mindreader, tagging along. "Just wait 'til I tell you about _scale rot!_"

* * *

Author's Note

This story is based on a fantastic headcanon about Pyrrhian diseases by stephwhoawow on Tumblr, or Sandshadow9 on FF net. Though I might have exaggerated the details a little. Sorry, Steph :P


	62. Kinkajou's Mysterious Illness

"Ugh," Kinkajou moaned. "I feel terrible."

"Are you nauseous?" Turtle said from beside her bed, wringing his talons. "Do you have a headache? Does your throat hurt?"

"I feel like I got run over by a boar," Kinkajou said, woefully.

"I can't figure out what's wrong with her," Clay said, scanning a checklist. "No fever. No cough. No sign of infection. But whenever I try to touch her she says it hurts."

Kinkajou moaned loudly for emphasis.

"Do you think it could be her old injuries acting up?" Turtle said. "You know, from Shapeshifter's attack?"

"Could be," Clay said, scratching his head. "I might need to call in a SkyWing healer for this one. I'm really sorry, Kinkajou. I'll make you some willow bark and ginseng tea, which should help with the pain, but that's all I can do right now. Hang in there until we get help, okay?"

"Okay," Kinkajou whispered.

Turtle sighed. "Thanks for trying, anyway."

"Turtle, don't you have a history exam soon?" Clay set down the clipboard. "I know you want to keep Kinkajou company, but I wouldn't want you to miss the test."

"It's okay," Turtle said. "Webs pushed it back to Monday."

"Ah, gotcha." Clay lumbered out of Kinkajou's room. "Well, I'll be right back with that tea!"

Once the MudWing disappeared, Kinkajou propped herself up on her elbows. "The exam was pushed back?"

"Yep," Turtle said.

"Oh, sweet!" Kinkajou hopped out of her bed. "Do you want to get some breakfast?"

Turtle watched, flabbergasted, as Kinkajou sauntered out of the room. "Wait, Kinkajou!" he yelled, chasing after her. "Come back here!"


	63. Starflight's Conundrum

Starflight was flopped on top of a pile of cushions in the darkest corner of the library, his head hanging limply. He sighed deeply.

"He's been like that all day," Fatespeaker whispered, watching him from across the room. "I'm so worried. I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"I'll go talk to him," Sunny said, putting on a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

"Thank you so much," Fatespeaker said.

Sunny approached the NightWing slowly, not wanting to startle him. "Starflight?" she said, once he was within earshot. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just leave me be," Starflight croaked. "It's all over. There's nothing you can do for me now."

Sunny hurried to his side. "What do you mean, Starflight? What's wrong?"

Starflight sighed again. "I... I finished all the scrolls in the library."


	64. SO: 1 The Ghost of Jade Mountain

"Sunny and Queen Thorn left for the Kingdom of Sand," announced Clay, limping into the dimly lit library. "I guess that means it's just us two now!"

"You know you don't have to stay for the summer," said Starflight from his desk. "You should have gone with Marsh to see your sibs."

"Aw, and leave you in this empty school all alone? I wouldn't dream of it." Clay wrapped the NightWing in a hug.

"I appreciate it," said Starflight, with the smallest of smiles.

"Besides, we'd better get started on preparations for year two." Clay tapped his chin with one claw. "Like building the new winglets' sleeping caves, and reading all those student applications, and renewing the money contract thingies, and..."

Starflight's ears perked up. "Clay, did you hear something?"

"Sorry," said Clay, sheepishly. "That's just my stomach. I haven't eaten in a while."

"No, no. I heard something like tapping claws."

Clay looked, bewildered, at the deserted library. The light of the setting sun barely bled through the leaf windows, leaving the scroll racks in shadow. The wind whistled loudly outside, like it was trying to blow the mountain over. It didn't look like anyone was there. But then again, Starflight had always been the most perceptive of his friends. And since being blinded, his other senses had gotten even keener.

"You must be hearing a ghost," said Clay with a nervous laugh. "Sunny and I made the final rounds just an hour ago. All the students and staff are gone."

"But what if it's someone who doesn't belong here?" Starflight inched closer to Clay's side.

Distantly, Clay heard the tapping of footsteps.

"There! Did you hear that?" whispered Starflight.

A sudden fear struck Clay's heart. "Starflight," he said, also whispering. "You know those stories the students used to tell? About the ghost of Jade Mountain?"

"Clay, those are nothing but unfounded rumors," said Starflight, rolling his eyes. "Likely originating in sightings of Stonemover. And his chamber is too far away to hear from the library, anyway."

Clay nodded slowly. He tried to sound more confident than he felt. "So it's probably nothing, then. Maybe I should check the hallways to make sure."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Starflight.

"Ghosts aren't real, anyway." Clay walked to the entrance. "As far as I know. Unless an animus dragon decided to say, 'I enchant this dragon to become a ghost and haunt Jade Mountain forever,' and... okay, that's not helping, is it?"

"No," said Starflight, dryly.

Clay cleared his throat and called out, "Hello? Anyone there?"

His voice echoed through the dark entrance hallway, drawing no response.

_Come on, Clay! _he thought to himself. _Be a big and brave bigwings!_

"So, I'll just take a quick look around to triple check that everyone's moved out," said Clay. "Then maybe we can go catch some dinner! Is that okay?"

"Sure." Starflight ran his talons nervously over a carved tablet. "But hurry, please."

"Will do," said Clay. He took a torch from its holder on the wall and breathed a puff of fire onto it. Then, he cautiously lumbered down the hall.

The stone tunnels of Jade Mountain often reminded Clay of the caves where he'd grown up. The air was cold and the rough floor hurt his feet. MudWings were made for wading through swamps, after all, not stomping on stone all day. But having all the light orbs unlit for the summer made the school at _least_ fifty times creepier than usual.

"Hellooo?" called Clay, poking his head into the music cave. He waved his torch around. Usually well-lit and lively, the cave was now empty, a few instruments covered with canvases and the rest returned to storage.

All the bravado he'd put on for Starflight's sake was quickly leaving him. Maybe this was a bad idea. Should he have left the blind NightWing all alone? If there was an evil ghost around, that's _exactly _what it would want!

Clay shook his head. _No, Clay. It is definitely not a ghost. _

"_Clay..._" came a whispery voice from the darkness.

"Huh? Who's that?" Clay waved the torch about

"_Clay..._" responded the voice. "_Shhhh_..."

Whoever was speaking to him, they were invisible in the dark cave. Like a camouflaged RainWing, or even... _a ghost..._

"I might have a bum leg, but I'm not afraid to fight!" blurted Clay. "Wait, is it even possible to fight a ghost? I guess we're about to find out!"

"Shh!" A dragon darted out of the shadows to clasp her talons around Clay's snout. "I don't want Starflight to know I'm here!"

After a moment of heart-pounding terror, Clay recognized the dragon's face. "Fatespeaker!" he said, with a huge sigh of relief. "Of course, I couldn't see you because your scales blend into the shadows!"

"Duh," said Fatespeaker. "You know ghosts aren't real, right?"

"Right. I know that. Haha."

Fatespeaker rummaged through a bag at her side. "I got this really awesome gift for me and Starflight's first anniversary, and I wanted to surprise him after everyone else was gone."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" said Clay.

"Look!" Fatespeaker excitedly held out a set of tablets. "It's a copy of_ Tales of the NightWings_,in carved script!"

"Wow, Starflight's favorite scroll!" said Clay. "We lost that ages ago when we left the mountain."

"I know Starflight has mixed feelings about our tribe now," said Fatespeaker, frowning down at the tablets. "But I hope reading these stories again will remind him that we're not ALL bad, and make him feel better. I even carved him a personalized note at the end! Will you wait here while I give it to him."

"Of course!" said Clay. "And congratulations on your anniversary, by the way! I didn't realize it's been a year already."

"I know, right?!" said Fatespeaker. "Time flies! Okay, I'll come get you when we're done. Be right back."

Fatespeaker was almost gone when Clay called out, "Wait!"

The NightWing paused. "Uh-huh?"

Clay gave a wary look at the dark and eerie cave. "I think I'll go wait outside the academy instead."

Fatespeaker shrugged. "Okay, whatever suits you!"

The two dragons parted ways, and Clay soon emerged into the silver moonlight outside of Jade Mountain. He took a deep breath of cool air, banishing any lingering thoughts of ghosts. All things consider, it was a beautiful night.

He lifted off the platform and soared over the forested mountainside. The wind rustled through the leafy treetops, and the cicadas chirped like there was no tomorrow.

_One whole year of school done, _Clay thought wistfully. _About time all of us had a break._

* * *

Author's Note

The full title of this arc is School's Out. Again, the whole thing wouldn't fit :/


	65. SO: 2 SeaWing Princess Bonding Time

When the three SeaWings arrived at the Diamond Reef, the sun shone brightly into the water, casting the coral in sharp relief. Tsunami darted through the water, sending blue and yellow snappers scattering in all directions. She was wearing one of Queen Coral's stretchy harnesses with the cord connected to her youngest sister, Auklet.

_Three moons, _signaled Tsunami in slightly broken Aquatic. _This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!_

_It's just a coral reef,_ responded Anemone, swimming after Tsunami and Auklet. _You know, the thing that mother is named after? Not exactly groundbreaking._

_Well, you grew up here_, said Tsunami, rolling her eyes. _The most colorful thing that grew in the cave under the mountain was river slime._

Tsunami watched a school of manta rays serenely pass by. She was visiting the Kingdom of the Sea for the summer, and Queen Coral had insisted on sending her and her sisters to the Diamond Reef, where they could relax and bond with each other. For once, Tsunami wasn't worrying about grading worksheets for Starflight, or negotiating finances with the SeaWing Council, or even disciplining misbehaving students, although she sometimes enjoyed that particular task.

In short, Tsunami was in a good mood today, and Anemone's nagging was not about to change that.

_I still can't believe mother let Auklet off her leash,_ pouted Anemone. _She's barely old enough to catch her own prey!_

_She's one and a half now, isn't she? _said Tsunami. _Besides, the little tyke's still harnessed to me._ he spun in the water to face the floating cord. _You're growing up fast, aren't you, Auklet?_

The harness on the other end was empty.

_Auklet?_ Tsunami turned her head every direction, flashing her sister's name as bright as she could. _Auklet!_

_Uh-oh, _said Anemone, eyes wide.

_I must not have fastened the harness correctly! _Tsunami shot back the way they came. _Mother is going to kill us!_

_Auklet! _flashed Anemone, helping Tsunami search. _Where are you?_

_Maybe she went back to the camp_, said Tsunami, still scanning the water around them. _Or maybe she's lost in the reef somewhere. Oh crab, what if a shark ate her?!_

_Sharks don't eat dragons, squid-brain!_ said Anemone. _Do they?_

_Wait! There she is!_

Auklet swam through the water toward them, her little wings working furiously to haul a manta ray almost twice as big as her.

Tsunami rushed to her side. _Auklet, don't disappear like that!_

The SeaWing dragonet spat the creature out of jaws and beamed. _Tsunami! Look what I caught!_

_You… caught that?_

_Yep!_ Auklet giggled and did a celebratory flip in the water.

Anemone snorted, sending a flurry of bubbles floating up to the surface. _One and a half years old, and she's already a better hunter than you._

Tsunami rolled her eyes. _Okay, good work, Auklet. But back in the harness you go._

_Nuh-uh!_ Auklet darted away. _You have to catch me first!_

_Auklet, come back here!_

Tsunami swam after Auklet, who was surprisingly fast for her small size. Anemone followed with a wry grin on her face. And the three sisters disappeared into the Diamond Reef.


	66. SO: 3 The Great Drop-Off

Peril glided over the sea, watching the dark water roll beneath her. There was not a cloud in the sky, and nothing but open ocean for miles in every direction. It was unsettling, to say the least. She wasn't used to the world being this _flat._

Turtle's green head popped out from the surface below. He shook the water from his scales. "Yep, this is the place," he announced.

"Can I come see it?" Peril swooped down to the SeaWing.

"Depends on how long you can hold your breath." Turtle shrugged. "It's about, say, two hundred meters deep at this point."

"SkyWings have big lungs," said Peril, trying to sound nonchalant. "Let's do it."

"Alright. Just signal if you need to come back up, okay?"

Turtle disappeared under the surface. Peril took a deep breath, preparing to dive... then released it. Then she took a few more. She eyed the foamy water below.

She had to admit, her heart was pounding. The ocean was _scary._ Not a lot of things could scare Peril. Hunting a wild boar? Easy. Fighting a dragon twice as big as her? Dragonet's play. But diving into the open ocean? Definitely outside of her comfort zone.

Turtle resurfaced. "Did you change your mind?"

"Nope!" shouted Peril. "Here I come!" She breathed in until she thought her lungs would burst, then dove into the water with a huge splash.

At first, the water was bitterly cold, until her firescales started to boil it. Turtle lit up all his glowing scales, so Peril could see, and dove graceful downward. Peril pumped her limbs to follow, sending up a giant plume of bubbles.

As time passed, the water got darker and darker, and Peril's breath got tighter and tighter. Just as she thought she would have to turn around, the ocean floor came into view. It was a murky rock shelf covered in tough patches of seaweed, stretching left and right until it went out of sight. Directly ahead, the shelf sharply declined, revealing nothing but black, black waters below.

Peril scanned the scene with a confused face, waiting for Turtle to show her something more. But the SeaWing just looked at her expectantly. She'd had enough of this. Peril turned and shot up through the water.

She surfaced with a huge gasp of air. Oh, precious, precious sky!

Turtle popped up nearby. "Well? What did you think?"

Peril took a few more breaths before answering. "That?" she said. "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"That/em was the Great Drop-Off? More like the Very Depressing Endless Sea of No Return!"

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

"Do you really toss your deceased down there?!" said Peril. "How are the dragon spirits supposed to find their way back? It looks like a giant death trap!"

"It's just custom," Turtle said. "We decorate the body and return it to the depths of the ocean where it came from, or something. Mother read an entire dirge to that effect at father's funeral." He thought for a moment. "We didn't actually have his body, so I'm not sure what they threw down there. Maybe it was just his jewelry."

Peril sighed and leaned back, using her wide wings to help her float. The water bubbled and boiled around her. "So that's where Kestrel is? Sitting at the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of dead SeaWings?"

Turtle shruggled. "I'm not exactly a SeaWing mortician, but yeah. I figure she was included in the mass funeral after the Summer Palace attack. Same with the dead SkyWing soldiers."

Peril thought for a moment. She didn't know how to feel about Kestrel meeting her end in such a gloomy, alien way. "Well... I guess that's what happens during war. You don't get to choose where you end up. I mean, to be fair, _we _ended up with _your_ father's body. Sorry."

"It's not your fault," said Turtle. "Besides, I've still got a mom. And she even knows my name now! Imagine that."

Peril stole a glance at her friend, who was floating leisurely on his back. He didn't look all that torn up about Gill's death, but she was still pretty bad at reading dragons' emotions, so maybe he was just good at hiding it or something.

"How do you do it in the Sky Kingdom, then?" Turtle met her gaze. "Do all dead SkyWings get put on mountaintops like Carnelian?"

"Pretty much," said Peril. "Sometimes, when an important dragon dies, there's a big orchestra and parade and whatever." She swished her tail through the water with a violent spray of bubbles. "Osprey used to tell me that SkyWing bodies need to put on high mountaintops so their spirits can go into the sky and be reborn... or something."

Peril trailed off as memories of the old, croaky dragon leaked into her head. Osprey had kept her company at night, telling her stories when she couldn't sleep. In retrospect, he had been her only friend as a child. Even if his breath smelled like goat kidneys.

She forced the images out of her head, focusing instead on a flock of seagulls flying high above. "He's dead now, anyway. Osprey. I think Queen Scarlet just threw his body onto a fire, so I guess his spirit isn't coming back. And neither is Kestrel's."

"I guess," said Turtle.

Peril blinked. "I just remembered. There's something I said to Kestrel in the Sky Kingdom. Something like, 'I may have saved your life, but I never want to know you.' So... I guess I got my wish."

It seemed like an awfully selfish thing to say, in retrospect. Kestrel had risked Queen Scarlet's wrath to save Peril, after all. And whose fault was it that Kestrel had been unable to carry her to safety? Peril's, of course. More specifically, her firescales. Messing everything up since the day she was born.

Would things have turned out better if Peril had gone with her mother after escaping the Sky Kingdom? Maybe Kestrel would have stopped her from being so angry and confused all the time. Maybe Peril could have used her firescales to save Kestrel from Blister's evil grasp. Maybe they could be living happily together, today. Just maybe.

"I'm sorry, Peril," Turtle said at length.

Peril snapped out of her reverie. "I mean, good riddance, right?" Peril laughed. "Tsunami says Kestrel was a terrible guardian anyway, so it's better to just forget about her and focus on the present. Three moons, I almost got sappy for a moment."

"Peril." Turtle righted himself in the water to meet her eyes. "It's okay to let yourself mourn. It can take a long time to get over the death of a loved one."

"Nuh-uh," said Peril. "Not for me. I was raised to be a killing machine, remember? Death is like an everyday thing for me. Oh, look, it's Thursday! Time to kill someone!"

"This is different," insisted Turtle. "Come on, Peril. Kestrel was your mother."

Peril flapped her waterlogged wings to rise into the sky, suddenly needing to put some distance between her and Turtle. "You know what you guys always tell me?" she said. "Peril, you can't rely on others telling you what to do. Peril, you've got to decide what you want for yourself. Well, today I'm deciding that I'm not going to worry about Kestrel or any other dead dragon, and that's that!"

"Really," said Turtle, skeptically.

"Why did we even come here in the first place?" Peril continued, blithely, ignoring the stormy feeling gathering in her gut. "We should have gone to the Diamond Reef with Tsunami and Anemone. I bet they're having _loads _of fun."

"You? Hanging out with Tsunami?" Turtle flapped into the air as well. "Now that's a recipe for disaster."

Peril started flying back toward the Bay of a Thousand Scales, wanting to feel solid ground under her talons again. "Listen, Tsunami and I get along just fine. I am a MILLION times more mature than I was a year ago."

"So when you two started yelling at each other about the seating arrangement at the art festival," said Turtle. "That was just a fluke, right?"

"Okay, I KNOW she seated me right behind a column just to spite me. Fire safety, my tail. I was so excited to see Siamang dance, and I could barely see her!"

"You know, I've noticed you hanging out with Siamang a lot lately."

"Yes! Point in case!" Peril said triumphantly. "I made a new friend, all by myself. And she's _totally awesome_. How about that?"

The two dragons chatted as they flew over the ocean, leaving the Great Drop-Off behind. And Peril could almost forget that far, far below the surface, her mother lay in eternal rest.

She knew thoughts of burned talons and blackened eggs would return sooner or later. Maybe even tonight, as she tossed and turned in the guest quarters of the SeaWing court. But for now, she was on summer break, she was hanging out with her awesome friend Turtle, and she was _not _going to waste her time thinking about stupid dead dragons.

Not right now.


	67. SO: 4 Home Sweet Bog

"Ah, it's good to be home!" said Sepia, walking down the dirt path with a spring in her step. "Isn't it nice to feel mud under your toes again?"

"Uh-huh," said Newt, unconvincingly.

"Oh, come on, Newt. It's summer! Time for relaxing and mudbathing and catching up with old friends! Let's see a smile on that face."

Sepia looked her sister expectantly. Newt sighed and screwed up her face into a resemblance of a smile.

"That's more like it." Sepia gave her an affectionate nudge. "I'm going to go say hello to the neighbors, okay? You don't have to come. I know you don't like talking to them. Why don't you go check up on your critters, and I'll catch up with you later?"

Newt was pretty sure all of her insects were dead, since she'd been away for almost a year, but she nodded anyway.

"Alright, I'll see you soon, Newt! Try to have fun!" Sepia gave her sister one last smile and bounded down the path.

Now alone, Newt looked around at the familiar scene. Along her left was an old fence guarding a field of squash and snap beans, arranged in neat, leafy rows. Newt would have been helping tend to those crops if Sepia hadn't dragged her to Jade Mountain Academy. To the right was the bog forest where the MudWings made their dens, deep within the spindly trees.

Newt could have _sworn_ something had changedsince they'd been gone. But she couldn't quite put her claw on it.

She trudged into the forest, passing a faded sign welcoming newcomers to the town of Fenbrook. Population: 50. Her claws squelched pleasingly into the wet ground. She passed the twisted tree where the grebes laid in the spring, and the warm rocks where villagers gathered to tell stories. In the distance, she spotted the little island where she often hunted for bugs to add to her collection. Duckweed and her sibs splashed through the water nearby – roughhousing, as usual – but they paid Newt no attention. Exactly how she liked it.

Newt took her time exploring the village before heading to her and Sepia's den, which was tucked into a quiet corner of the forest. Everything seemed to be just how she remembered. Then why did the forest seem so cramped, unlike the wide-open mountains, and so quiet, compared to the bustle of the Quartz Winglet? Not to mention, had the village _always_ smelled this musty? Despite being back home, she almost felt lonely.

Newt stopped short as her stout, egg-shaped den came into view. A genuine smile crept onto her face for the first time all day

"Newt!" said Sepia in a sing-song voice, approaching down the path. "You'll never guess what Pickerel gave us as a welcome-home present – ACK!" She dropped the colorful shawl she was carrying in shock. "Newt! What in Pyrrhia happened to the den?!"

Their den was absolutely buzzing with insects of all sorts: damselflies, butterflies, mosquitos, diving beetles, and more. They crawled in and out of windows, alighted on the roof, and chased each other through the air.

"My critters," said Newt, with a transfixed expression. "They're alive!"

"They've taken over our home!" Sepia rushed toward the den. "Shoo! Shoo!" The insects diverted their paths around the indignant MudWing, seemingly unbothered.

Newt sat down with a _thump _and laughed. "Go on, critters! Live and eat and breed like you were meant to! Don't let anyone stop you!"

She watched in amusement as Sepia chased the insects around the den. They would probably have to stay at Pickerel's place for a while, at least until they de-egged the whole den, but Newt didn't really mind. She'd gotten used to sharing a den with others at JMA. And maybe it would do her some good to finally get to know her neighbors.


	68. SO: 5 How to Introduce Your Boyfriend

"You're dating someone?!" crowed Pheasant.

"That's wonderful." Reed gave him a wide smile. "It sounds like you're really settling in at Jade Mountain."

"What's she like?" Pheasant batted Marsh playfully with a wing.

Marsh rubbed his arm. "Um, it's a he, actually."

"Aha! I _knew _it. What did I tell you, Reed?"

"Knew what?" said Marsh.

"Never mind that. Tell us _everything _about him! He's a MudWing, right?" Pheasant gasped. "Three moons, are you dating someone outside the tribe?"

Reed looked amused. "Come on, let him speak."

"I can't help it." Pheasant grinned toothily. "Our little Marsh is growing up!"

Marsh sheepishly looked away, gazing into the algae-filled water instead. He really wanted his sibs to approve of his boyfriend, so he'd spent the entire flight home rehearsing Coconut introduction. But now that the time had come, he was blanking. Maybe he could buy some time by changing the topic.

"Actually, there's something else I need to know," said Marsh. "Are Umber and Sora here...?"

Reed shook his head. "They haven't come back to the village yet. Umber sent us a letter. He said that he and Sora are safe and that we shouldn't worry."

"Didn't tell us where they are, though," Pheasant added with a touch of bitterness. "As if they couldn't trust their big sibs!"

Marsh's face fell. He had been hoping to see his missing sibs again. Based on the troubled expression on Reed's face, his bigwings was similarly worried, regardless of what the letter said.

"Well, that's too bad," said Marsh quickly. He still needed to keep them distracted from the topic of Coconut. "But, um, anyway, what have you two been up to? Since I've been gone, I mean. You must have lots of free time now!"

"Pheasant is learning how to weave baskets," announced Reed.

"Come on, Marsh, stop avoiding the question!" said Pheasant. "I want to know about your boyfriend!"

"Oh, right, of course." Marsh took a deep breath; his sister had seen right through his ploy. _Just get it over with! _he told himself. _Don't be a scaredy-scavenger! _

"He actually came with me today, so I could introduce you guys," said Marsh. He gulped. "Coconut, um, you can show yourself now."

Reed and Pheasant looked around curiously, as if expecting to see a dragonet hiding behind one of the stunted trees. Marsh flexed his talons nervously as he waited. He knew RainWings had a bad reputation. And Coconut could be, well, _underwhelming _at first glance. What if they hated him? What would he do then?

After a few seconds passed, Marsh grew concerned. "Coconut?" He checked the reeds where the camouflaged RainWing had been hiding.

"MARSH!" Coconut surfaced in the water nearby, flailing wildly. "HELP CAN'T SWIM BLUB BLUB"

"Coconut!" Marsh dove into the water.

A few minutes later, the three MudWings had rescued the RainWing and wrapped him tightly in a blanket.

"That water is deeper than it looks," said Coconut, shivering. His scales had turned an icy blue.

"It's okay." Marsh patted him on the back.

Pheasant was pacing around the RainWing, as if stalking prey. "So, _you're_ my little brother's boyfriend?" she accused.

Coconut blinked. "Yep, that's me."

"Interesting, very interesting..." muttered Pheasant.

"Don't mind her," said Reed. "We're very happy to meet you. Are you and Marsh getting along well?"

"Sure," said Coconut. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Pheasant cracked her knuckles. "What he means to say is: If you break my brother's heart, you'll have me and a troop of angry MudWings to answer to. Understood, RainWing?!"

Coconut gulped. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Hehe. Good kid." Pheasant rubbed Coconut's head with a wry smile.

Reed tilted his head. "Marsh, there's something I have to say."

"Yes?" Marsh gulped. There it was. He braced himself for whatever criticism his bigwings had to offer.

"I know it took a lot of courage to go to JMA," said Reed. "But you've done so well for yourself. You already seem more confident than you used to. And you're even dating again!" He gave Marsh a friendly nuzzle. "I'm proud of you."

Marsh let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Thank you, Reed," he said quietly.

_What was I even worried about? Reed and Pheasant are my family. They'll support me, no matter what._

"So! I want to know how you two met," said Pheasant. "Tell me ALL the details!"

Marsh laughed. "There's, um, there's not a lot of details to tell."

He leaned against Coconut's side as they continued to chat, feeling warm inside. There was nothing like the feeling of being among family again.

* * *

Author's Note

Full title: How to Introduce Your Boyfriend to Your BigWings


	69. SO: 6 Mother Knows Best

Queen Thorn's study looked like it had been hit by a sandstorm. Scrolls were stacked five deep on the desk, along with inkpots, stamps, gems, tablets, and even a pile of chewed-on bones. Parchments covered the floor as well, arranged in loose piles labeled "Read later," "Urgent," and "Trash." Most of the mess had been shoved aside for a giant scroll of numerals and charts that Thorn was intently studying.

Sunny stifled a yawn as she peered over her mother's shoulder. "So how much funding do you think can you spare for JMA this year?"

"I don't know, Beetle." Thorn licked her lips. "If I let the kingdom go any further into debt, the other queens are going to show up at our doors demanding payment."

"We only have about five hundred refugees to care for," Smolder added wryly. "Twenty towns to rebuild, several trade routes to re-establish... and don't forget about renovating this awful fortress."

"I had to establish a fake committee called 'insurance of peace' just to have an excuse to keep sending you money," Thorn said. "Don't tell Six-claws."

Sunny rubbed her eyes. "Wow, and I thought running a school was hard. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Thorn chuckled. "Not unless you have a secret stash of gold hidden under that mountain of yours." She nudged Sunny with her snout. "Are you getting tired?"

"I can keep going," Sunny insisted. "We haven't even gotten to the cost-benefit analysis yet!"

"My favorite part," Smolder said.

Sunny put on her brightest smile, hoping Thorn wouldn't notice the lines under her eyes from spending all night writing letters to new students. (And the night before, renovating the History classroom, and the night before, helping Starflight catalog a shipment of scrolls...)

"Have you been sleeping?" Thorn demanded.

"Of course!" Sunny said. "A little."

Thorn gave her a skeptical look. Sunny's smile twitched slightly.

"Tell you what," Thorn said. "You're here for a week, aren't you? We have plenty of time for this moons-cursed paperwork later. Smolder, how would you feel about being queen for a day?"

Smolder blinked. "What? Me?"

"Just make sure no one starts another war and everything will be okay." Thorn rolled up the budget scroll and tossed it against the wall.

"Mother, are you sure?" Sunny protested. "There's a lot of things to do before the end of the break. After we finish discussing finances, I want to meet the new SandWing students, and–"

"That's enough!" Thorn said. "I'm no longer queen for the day, which means I'm a full-time mother. And I say it's time for you to take a day off. Follow me."

"Wait!" Smolder called as Thorn exited the study. "That's it? No other instructions or advice or anything?"

"No wars!" repeated Thorn from outside.

"Um, good luck, Smolder!" Sunny darted after her mother before the SandWing could protest.

She caught up to Thorn marching purposefully through the sandstone corridor. "So, where are we going?" she said.

"Armadillo told me about a hot spring that I'm _dying _to try," Thorn said. "But first? I think it's time for a nap." She gave Sunny a small wink.

Sunny smiled weakly. "I guess that might be a good idea."


	70. SO: 7 The IceWing Isolation Policy

Alba bowed deeply beside Changbai and Ermine, her forehead nearly touching the ground. She held the position and stared silently at the icy floor. The custom in the Ice Kingdom was to remain bowing until the queen spoke.

_Queen Glacier never let it drag on this long, _thought Alba.

Queen Snowfall finally cleared her throat, indicating that the dragonets should rise. "So," she said, deliberately and slowly. "How bad is it?"

Alba arranged her face in an impassive mask. She had no idea what the queen was talking about, but she knew better than to show her confusion. Changbai and Ermine would respond first, as they were from the Circles.

"Pardon, Your Majesty?" Changbai said.

"Jade Mountain Academy," Snowfall sneered. "If Winter and Icicle's old letters are to be believed, the accommodations are hardly better than a hostel. Not even close to worthy of royalty. Or ex-royalty. I hear they don't even have _washrooms_."

Alba noticed the other two dragonets stealing glances at each other. Ermine was first circle, and Changbai second. Alba realized that they had once been Snowfall's peers. Maybe even friends. But Queen Glacier had died while they were at Jade Mountain, and all of a sudden, Snowfall was the most powerful dragon in the Ice Kingdom.

"Not to speak of what passes for 'learning' in that place," Snowfall continued. "Children's books, art projects, and barely any battle training. Even my fourth-year classes are more advanced than that."

_She's only four, _Alba realized with a jolt. _I'm older than her._

Snowfall leaned forward on her throne. "So, tell me. _How bad is it?_"

"All of it is true, Your Majesty," Ermine said quickly. "They coddle us. It's more of a glorified playground than a proper school. And all the tribes intermingle with no attention to social mores." He lowered his voice, as if revealing a dark secret. "They even pursue romantic relationships _between tribes_."

"Just as I thought." Snowfall snorted. "Nothing short of barbaric."

Alba glanced at Ermine. The other IceWing had never talked much to her at Jade Mountain. Talking to commoners was, apparently, too great a sin to commit. But he'd always struck Alba as a bit of a kiss-up. If the amount of time he spent in the prey center was any indication, he didn't mind being "coddled" all that much.

"And Changbai?" Snowfall said. "Do you have anything to add?"

"It's nothing like IceWing school." Changbai twitched nervously. "We learn a lot of useless things like the history of the other tribes. But the other students are sort of nice once you get to know them! My winglet..."

Changbai trailed off as Ermine poked him with his tail. "...Is, um, very rude and unsophisticated, of course. No social more-ays whatsoever."

"Hmm. Unfortunate," Snowfall said. "I should have become queen a year ago. It's clear that mother was going soft. Why should we waste our dragonets' time learning about 'intertribal affairs,' when the other tribes want nothing to do with us, and we want nothing to do with them?"

"Exactly, Your Majesty." Ermine nodded too.

"Since the Battle of Jade Mountain, I've received _so _many letters requesting to attend the academy." Snowfall rolled her eyes in a rather un-queenly manner. "Probably a result of the magic trickery the NightWings used to end the battle. But your first-talon accounts should be all I need to push the IceWing Isolation Policy through."

Alba's eyes widened in alarm. Icewing isolation? Surely that meant the IceWing students would not be allowed to return to JMA next year.

"You may be dismissed," Snowfall said, idly flexing her talons.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ermine bowed once more. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Changbai glanced at Alba. "Er, but what about...?"

Alba stiffened ever so slightly. She had been hoping to get out of this encounter without speaking.

"Ah, yes. Alba, isn't it?" Snowfall put on a snide grin. "The lucky whelp who skipped out on guard duty."

Alba curled her claws in irritation, but she stayed silent. It wasn't _her _fault that she had been picked via lottery to attend JMA. She had never wanted to go in the first place. Protecting Queen Glacier had always been her greatest calling. But the thought of becoming a guard again, spending the rest of her life in the service of Snowfall, was almost nauseating.

"Well?" the young queen said. "Do you have anything to add? Anything of value?"

This was her chance to defend JMA, Alba realized. In fact, it could be the only chance she ever got. It wasn't often that a commoner got to speak directly to the queen. Maybe, if she said the right words in the right order, she could somehow convince Snowfall that isolationism was a bad idea.

Alba imagined what her friends would have done in her position. Pronghorn would have asked questions nonstop, trying to poke a hole in Snowfall's reasoning. Mindreader would have jumped to the defense of all of her fellow students. And Snail? Oh, Snail wouldn't have hesitated to give Snowfall a piece of her mind, directly to her smug little snout.

"Go on, then. Can't you talk?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Alba said. "I have nothing to add, Your Majesty."

Unfortunately, Alba wasn't Pronghorn, or Mindreader, or Snail. She was an IceWing, the youngest of an IceWing family, which meant she stayed silent, minded her own business, and most certainly did not speak back to the queen.

Even if it meant never seeing her friends again.

Snowfall sniffed. "Very well. Now leave me."

The three IceWings bowed and quickly exited the throne room, their claws clicking solemnly on the ice floor. As the lowest-ranking dragon, Alba walked in the rear.

_This IceWing Isolation Policy isn't set in ice yet, _she reminded herself. _It sounds like the councils could Queen Snowfall to change her mind. If I display good behavior during the break, they might send me back again next year._

Alba wanted to be optimistic. She really did. But as the icy blue door to the throne room shut behind her, she couldn't shake the feeling that a window of opportunity had closed forever.


	71. SO: 8 The Missing Scavenger

Qibli peered over the thick wooden fence, recording all the details in his head as if scribbling notes on a scroll. A pleasant meadow, lit by the late evening sun. A big empty crate padded with hay – for scavenger transport, judging by the air holes. Three little dens built out of lateral slats of wood, complete with cute brick chimneys. A patch of forest in full summer greenery.

"Sooo... Where is she?" Qibli said at length.

"Probably hiding." Winter sighed. "She's my first scavenger. She's not used to big, scary dragons yet."

"Ah, no problem. Just tell her I'm a big, _friendly_ dragon and I'm sure we'll be best friends before long." Qibli gave him a goofy smile.

"Don't be daft." Winter shouldered his bag, then flew over the fence. "I'll let you feed her. Then she'll probably get the hint that you're not here to eat _her_."

"Am I?" Qibli quipped. "It was a long flight from Thorn's fortress, you know. There's no telling what a famished dragon like me is capable of."

He stopped short as he found Winter's face inches from his. "Don't even joke about that," the IceWing growled.

"Hey, lighten up." Qibli chuckled. "You know I'd never actually do that, right?"

Winter snorted and stomped toward the scavenger dens.

_Hm. Touchy subject? _thought Qibli. _Or maybe the summer heat is making him grumpier than usual._

Qibli lightly hopped over the fence to follow his friend. "Come on, I know you missed your old pal Qibli, but you're embarrassing me with all this affection."

Winter continued to walk, giving no acknowledgement that he had heard.

_Probably best not to push it right now._

Winter peered through the windows of the dens, one by one. "Holly's not here," he reported. "Strange. Maybe she's out scavenging." He scratched his chin. "But I haven't seen her all day."

Qibli circled around the nearest cabin, marveling at the little buildings. "You made these all yourself?"

"Yes, of course. They don't exactly sell scavenger dens in the market."

"Not bad." Qibli pressed a talon gently on one to see how sturdy they were. For such little dens, they were quite strong. "I'm serious. This is some quality craftsmanship."

"Whatever." Winter poked his head into the nearest building. Probably to hide his abashed expression, Qibli figured. He stuck out his tongue at Winter's tail, then went to explore behind the dens.

There was a shady little courtyard full of boulders and a tiny well. He also noticed a lone holly tree. Adorable – that must be how Winter named the scavenger. Fallen white flowers littered the ground.

The muddy floor near the well caught Qibli's attention. A set of little scavenger footprints lead from the building and clustered near the well, presumably to draw water. Curiously, the footprints didn't lead back to the den, but toward the tree line.

_Holly must have spilled some water from the well. _Qibli poked the mud with his claws. _It's still wet, despite the heat. Must have been today._

"Hey, I'm going to take a look around," Qibli said, flapping into the air.

"Suit yourself," Winter responded from a distance.

Qibli took off over the woods, trying to catch any glimpse of movement through the trees. The sanctuary wasn't all that big, even for a smaller creature like her. A suspicion started to flicker in Qibli's head, but for Winter's sake, he hoped he was wrong.

He found himself at the fence in the back of the sanctuary, where his fears were immediately confirmed. The dirt had been scooped away by the fence, making a hole several feet deep. For a soft little scavenger, it must have taken days to complete. Qibli could see the bottom of the vertical logs that made up the fence, like a row of uneven teeth, with just enough space beneath for a scavenger to squeeze through.

Qibli rubbed his snout. Well, that answered the question of Holly. Now, how was he going to break the news to Winter?

"There you are," Winter said from the sky, before Qibli could come to a decision. "Here's the new plan. I'll show you around town, first, and we'll come back when–"

Winter choked on his own words when he saw the hole.

"No," he breathed.

Qibli winced. "Winter, I'm sorry."

"We have to catch her!" Winter shot over the fence. "Hurry!"

"But we don't know how long she's been gone!" Qibli said.

"And? She has tiny scavenger legs! She can't have gone far! Come on!"

With a sigh, Qibli took off after his friend. He knew scavengers were too small and crafty to track for longer than a few minutes. But he also knew better than to argue. If anything was harder than finding a scavenger, it was convincing Winter to change his mind.

Night had long fallen by the time Winter admitted that Holly was gone for good. (Or eaten, as Qibli surmised, but it was probably best not to mention that.) Under the watch of three moons, the two dragonets touched down on a rocky hill.

"Scavengers are slippery," Qibli said. "Like holding a live fish in your talons."

"It's my fault," Winter said in a clipped tone. "I gave Holly freedom because I thought it would build trust. But I forgot how social scavengers are. She wanted to find the rest of her tribe."

"Easy mistake to make." Qibli shrugged. "You'll have plenty more chances in the future."

Winter sat on a flat boulder and looked off at the lights of Sanctuary in the distance. "Well, I shouldn't have made that mistake. It's not befitting of a so-called scavenger expert."

Qibli sat down next to his friend. "Aw, you're still _my_ favorite scavenger expert. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"You wouldn't understand," Winter snapped. "Us IceWings have high standards." A little quieter, he added, "Even excommunicated ones."

Qibli examined Winter's tense shoulders and hunched neck. He knew what the IceWing was up to. Trying to pass it off as nothing, acting all detached, as if he could fool Qibli into thinking he didn't have any emotions at all.

"Listen, I'm going to drop my cool and rad façade for a moment," Qibli said, "so, brace yourself. Winter, there's going to be bumps in the road, no matter what you do. But you're finally going down your own path instead of letting your family or the IceWings tell you what's right. And I think that's awesome." Qibli reached out to put one wing around Winter, who stiffened, but didn't move away. "I'm proud of you."

Winter's scales were shockingly cold. It always took Qibli a moment to get used to the contact.

It took Winter a moment to respond. "I don't need your approval," he huffed, looking away from Qibli. "I know what I'm doing."

"But if I don't look past that icy attitude to find the softie inside, then who will?" Qibli said.

Winter rolled his eyes. "Oh, no. Imagine if I _didn't _have a dragon constantly badgering me about my emotions and other nonsense. I can barely stand the thought."

"Okay, okay, enough sappiness, then." Qibli leaned in toward Winter. "You know what the real problem here is? I've been in town for at _least_ six hours and you still haven't bought me a drink."

"Uh-huh. It's the middle of the night, if you didn't notice." Winter used a splayed talon to push the SandWing's face away.

"That's the perfect time for a romantic outing." Qibli grinned through Winter's claws.

"I may not be a prince anymore, but I am a respectable entrepreneur, and I can't be caught gallivanting around with any old ruffian SandWing." Winter huffed and extracted himself from Qibli's wing. "We should go back to my place."

Qibli cackled. "Oh, imagine the reaction if the public found out you were housing a ruffian SandWing in your own den!"

The two dragons bickered as they flew through the crisp night air to Sanctuary. The analytic part of Qibli's mind continued ticking away in the background. Winter was still tense, but not miserable. Distracted, at least, which was as much as Qibli could hope for. Winter had taken this whole situation better than Qibli expected.

Had Winter changed since they last met? It seemed like he was coming to terms with his exile from the Ice Kingdom, one way or another. Still cared about scavengers more than any one dragon should. Still as proud as a peacock. But maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Winter was the type of dragon who would throw everything into what he cared about, whether it was his aristocratic standing or his scavenger sanctuary, and that was one of the things Qibli liked about him.

_Yes, these scavengers will be in good talons._


	72. SO: 9 Lost in the Rainforest

"I think it's this way," Mindreader said, inspecting a wide tree trunk crawling with greenery.

"How can you tell?" Fearless replied. "It all looks the same!"

"Not quite!" Mindreader pointed at the tree. "See those vines?"

"Mindreader! There are vines EVERYWHERE!"

Mindreader looked around at the vine-covered undergrowth. "Hmm... You have a point."

"It's almost nightfall!" Fearless said. "How are we ever going to get back to the village?! Oh, why didn't we go with the RainWings?"

A loud hooting noise made both dragonets freeze. It was an aggressive and guttural sound, repeating several times before quietly fading away. The dragonets looked left and right, trying to discern the source in the darkening rainforest.

"It's probably just an orangutan or something dumb like that." Mindreader gulped. "Come on, if just keep walking, we'll get there eventually! You're the last dragon I'd expect to freak out in a situation like this."

"Huh? Why?!"

"Well... you know. Your name is _Fearless._"

Fearless gave Mindreader a murderous glance.

The hoot sounded again, right next to the dragonets, who screamed and clutched each other for dear life.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Siamang dropped down from above, hanging from a branch with her tail.

"SIAMANG!" Fearless cried, wrapping the RainWing in an upside-down hug.

"Whoa! Nice to see you too, I guess."

"Aha!" Mindreader pointed to a furry, orange creature nearby. "I was right! It was an orangutan!"

The orangutan hooted and leaped away.

"Please take us home," Fearless said mournfully. "I'm so tired. I just want to see my family again."

"Uh, sure, right away," Siamang said. "Mind letting go of me first?"

"Oh. Sorry." Fearless released her clutch on the RainWing.

"You know, for someone named Fearless, you're not very–"

"Don't even start."


	73. SO: 10 Secretkeeper

Moon was the greatest secret that Secretkeeper ever kept, but not by far the only one.

For instance, Secretkeeper had harbored a crush on Princess Greatness for years, before the princess turned out to be such a flake. Another secret was that she stole an obsidian pendant from Smokeseer, as payback for teasing her, then threw it into the lava because she was afraid of being caught. Yet another secret: when she was taken through the rainforest tunnel for the first time, she discovered her claustrophobia and broke down crying because she thought the world would end.

Over the years, Moon had picked up on all of these secrets and more. As she soared over the rainforest, she wondered if a NightWing's name was intertwined with their fate. Was it a sort of subtle prophecy? Or was it always up to chance? She'd always assumed the latter, but it was hard to explain how she – Moonwatcher – had ended up studying astronomy. Maybe Secretkeeper had been doomed to keep secrets from the moment she was born.

Moon spotted the buildings of the NightWing village and dropped down to the jungle floor. Secretkeeper was waiting for her by the entrance.

"Mom! I missed you!" Moon greeted her mother with a hug.

"Oh, baby, it's so good to see you again."

Secretkeeper's latest secret flashed through Moon's mind as they embraced. _Don't think about the bracelet, don't think about the bracelet. _A surprise present for Moon, perhaps? She decided just to play along.

"The village has really grown since the last time I was here," Moon noted. During the Darkstalker nonsense, it had been little more than a group of shacks in a jungle clearing. Now, the settlement was sprawling with buildings and flower-decorated pavilions.

"Forget about the village." Secretkeeper squeezed Moon tightly. "Look at you! My little moon pie is getting so big."

"Mom!" Moon broke away from her mother with a laugh.

"I've kept all your letters," Secretkeeper said. "I see you're becoming quite the astronomer. And you've made so many friends!"

"I had a rough start," Moon admitted. "But I guess when you weather an ancient evil together, it's impossible not to make some friends."

Secretkeeper laughed. "Oh, of course. I can't wait for you to make friends with some of your own tribe too!" She gestured for Moon to follow her down the grassy path. "Everyone has settled in wonderfully, and so many new dragonets are hatching. I'll have to take you to meet them."

"I don't know..." Moon rubbed her arm. "Maybe it's best if I keep to myself, given what happened last time."

The NightWings had not been happy to discover that Secretkeeper was secretly raising a dragonet in the rainforest. They accused her of selfishly endangering the tribe, gave young Moon jealous, scathing looks. As if she could choose where she'd been born! Moon had been glad to escape to Jade Mountain Academy, and she didn't want to know what would happen if she tried to join her tribe again.

Secretkeeper sat down and looked Moon in her eyes. "Moon, baby... I know the others were unkind to you when they first met you – they were just jealous, of course – but I know you'll get along just fine this time. We need to move on. Us two, and the entire tribe. Now that everyone's gotten used to living in the rainforest, they're not nearly as bitter about you growing up here." She squeezed Moon's arm. "You don't have to stay hidden anymore."

"Okay." Moon smiled slightly. "But just one at a time, please. I'm not very good in crowds."

"Alright. One at a time."

Secretkeeper started rummaging through her bag. "You know, to commemorate your first year at Jade Mountain, I thought it would be nice to get you a little gift," she said, slyly. "We found this in the Old Night Kingdom, and I thought it would be perfect for you, so I got some help cleaning it up!"

Secretkeeper held out a smooth silver bracelet, engraved with an elegant insignia of three moons. "What do you think?"

"Oh, wow!" Moon tried to look surprised. "It's awesome! Thank you!"

Secretkeeper chuckled. "You already knew about it, didn't you?"

Moon winced. "Yeah, sorry. But I really do like it!"

She let her mother slip the bracelet onto her foreleg, then held it up in the air, watching the sunlight glint off of it. No one had ever given her jewelry before. She would have rejected it. After all, it was counterproductive to staying secret, staying hidden, staying safe. But she didn't have to worry about that anymore.

"Let me show you our new home!" Secretkeeper said, leading Moon into the village. "I just know you'll love it."

"I can't wait to see it," Moon said.

NightWings gave them curious looks as they passed, but Moon tried not to cower away. She was one of them, after all. She even gave the closest one a shy smile.

Moon was the greatest secret that Secretkeeper ever kept, but she was a secret no longer.


	74. SO: 11 Hide-and-Seek

"We're using NightWing rules!" Peacemaker announced. "You have to stay in the village. And no camouflage!"

"Really? Then what's the _point?_" Kinkajou protested.

"That sounds fair to me." Tamarin smiled. "I can't see you either way."

"I'm going to start counting." Peacemaker covered his eyes with his wings. "You better go hide."

"Okay, okay," Kinkajou said.

As the hybrid dragonet started to loudly count backwards, the RainWing cast her eyes around the NightWing village. "Follow me," she hissed. Tamarin nodded and let Kinkajou lead her away.

After rejecting a clump of bushes (too predictable, according to Kinkajou) and a low-hanging hammock (what if the owner came back to take a nap?), the two RainWings huddled behind the marble stage where the Rainforest Court held its weekly forum, obscured by overgrown grass.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Peacemaker shouted in the distance.

"He'll never find us here," Kinkajou said quietly, but confidently. "Trust me. I am a masterhide-and-seeker."

"Just wait until Bright-eyes is old enough to play," Tamarin teased. "He'll look into the future and know exactly where you'll be before you even get there."

Kinkajou rolled her eyes. "Okay, using NightWing powers is _cheating_. Which would be obvious to any _master hide-and-seeker._"

"I wonder what it's like to be a seer?" Tamarin said. "Do you think he's had any visions already?"

"I hope not," Kinkajou said. "He's too young. It's hard enough being a regular hatchling, you know. Like, wow, there's a whole entire world out there, and there are lots of scary dragons, and sometimes I step on my own tail and spook myself!"

The two dragonets giggled, but quietly, so they didn't give their position away.

"Would you ever want to be a seer?" Tamarin asked.

Kinkajou tapped her chin. "I used to think so. I wished I could use my powers to help lots of dragons and make Pyrrhia better, you know? But after seeing what happened to Darkstalker..." she shrugged. "Maybe it's better to let fate do its own thing."

"Well, I'd like to be a seer," Tamarin said. "Imagine everything you could do for your friends. You could tell them: hey, trust me, you're happier in the timeline where you follow your dreams."

"Or you could be like, hey, ask that dragon out already, I foresaw that they'll say yes!"

"Exactly!" Tamarin said. "Plus, if I were a seer, maybe it would have been easier to learn my way around the rainforest. Like, whoops, it looks like in that timeline I fly into a tree, so I'd better avoid that one!"

The two dragonets giggled again.

"I wonder if Bright-eyes would be able to tell us what all our friends are up to," Tamarin said.

"Oh, psh, you don't need future-vision for that!" Kinkajou started listing off dragons while counting on her talons. "Fatespeaker is helping Clay and Starflight fix up the library, Anemone and her sisters are on a trip to a coral reef, Peril is in the Kingdom of the Sea with Turtle, Sepia and Newt are going back to their bog, Marsh is taking Coconut to meet his bigwings, Sunny is spending time with Queen Thorn, the IceWings are going back to Queen Snowfall's palace, Qibli is visiting Winter in Sanctuary, Moon is probably out with her mom somewhere, and Mindreader and Fearless should be arriving at the village any moment now." Kinkajou frowned. "Actually, they should have gotten here already. I hope they're not lost."

Tamarin was slack-jawed. "How did you know all that?"

"Easy," Kinkajou said. "I asked them all before we left!"

"Found you!" Peacemaker hopped down from the marble platform and tackled Kinkajou. "I heard you talking from miles away!"

Kinkajou sprawled dramatically onto the ground. "Oh poo! I'll get you next time!"

Tamarin laughed. "So much for _master hide-and-seeker._"

* * *

Author's Note

As abrupt as it may seem, this is the end of the story. I won't say I'm done writing about dragons forever, but if I do return, it'll be under a different title. _Tales from Post-War Pyrrhia _was an important chapter in my life, and I hope it had a little impact on yours as well. Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
